I have been contacted by our business office about the CMS requirement for 'start' and 'stop' time documentation of IV solutions/meds to receive reimbursement.
Just getting proper documentation of start times is a challenge. We will be going to a scanning system later in the year, which should be helpful with this.
I would appreciate any input on how others are planning on dealing with this issue.
We are a critical access hospital with inpatients and an outpatient infusion center, and have had this as a requirement for a year. It was difficult at first the "dog" the staff for documentation. However it is probably best practice. It helps confim rates, ensures infusions are started and finished in the proper time frame for the medication and makes the nurses check their piggybacks to ensure it has infused.Â
Susan Schuetrumpf, RN, CRNI, VA-BC
Atlanta GA
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
CMS is Medicare/Medicaid
With the new pay for performance times of meds administered will likely be a criteria for payment
They are looking for the fact that the antibiotics were hung one hour prior to surgery etc
Bar codiing/scanning of start and finish of all drugs will be necessary
Kathy Kokotis
Bard Access Systems