 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Cherié R. Forsha, RN, MSN/MPH, CNS, Public Health Nursing Administration, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, 251 North Figueroa St., Rm 347, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-989-7095, cforsha@dhs.co.la.ca.us and Robert Mosby, Public Health Investigation, Los Angeles County Department of Health services, Public Health, 5555 Ferguson Drive, Suite 120-04, Commerce, CA 90022.
Los Angeles County Public Health developed an acuity tool to address the issue of workload measurement among the field staff. In 2002, Public Health Nursing and Public Health Investigation were charged to develop a tool to measure their productivity. The acuity/complexity tool not only measures the intensity of care given to a client, but also the time required to do the work. An interdisciplinary committee identified and defined seven indicators: 1) accessibility - the degree of effort required for staff to contact the client and /or family; 2) environmental - living situation, 3) adherence/compliance: the degree to which a client accepts or rejects service, 4) barriers to care - variables that may deter a client from accessing care, 5) coping skills - the degree to which a client can manage problems, difficulties or change, 6) level of involvement - the degree of ongoing assessment, evaluation and/or intervention required to achieve a desired outcome and 7) mileage/travel one way. After defining the indicators, each discipline developed examples sensitive to their job functions. Public Health Nursing piloted the acuity/complexity tool for sixty days, and as a result the staff felt that it is easy to learn, user friendly, and required minimal time to complete. The acuity/complexity tool is one of many evaluative devices that management will use to assist in evaluating staffing patterns and utilization associated with the mandated work of the field staff. The tool is currently being computerized and will be rolled out in March of 2003 system wide.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Field Experience, Quality Improvement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment