You CAN help improve your patient's health and HOS measures.
- Use a patient’s annual wellness visit to discuss the following:
- Balance problems, falls, difficulty walking and other risk factors for falls
- Suggest the use of a cane or walker
- Check blood pressure with patient standing, sitting, and reclining
- Suggest an exercise or physical therapy program
- Suggest a vision or hearing test
- Perform bone density screening, especially for high-risk members
- Screen for UTIs and review medications for interactions that increase fall risk
- The need for physical activity and ways to increase physical activity
- Talk to the patient bout the importance of exercise and physical activity
- Discuss with the patient how to start, increase, or maintain activity
- Bladder control and potential treatments for bladder control issues
- Ask the patient if bladder control is a problem
- If so, ask if it interferes with sleep or daily activities
- Talk to the patient about treatment options
- Physical and mental health
- Ask the patient about physical and mental health compared to two years ago
- Discuss ways to improve status of both mental and physical health
- Suggest patient begin exercise programs or physical therapy if warranted
These topics can be discussed by the office or nursing staff while patients are waiting to be seen. The provider can then address these topics during the visit.
