Overview
A health care organization’s main purpose is patient care. Providing the most appropriate care in a setting that supports and responds to each patient’s unique needs requires a high level of planning and coordination. Certain activities are basic to patient care. For all disciplines that care for patients, these activities include
• planning and delivering care to each patient;
• monitoring the patient to understand the results of the care;
• modifying care when necessary;
• completing the care; and
• planning the follow-up.
Many physicians, nurses, pharmacists, rehabilitation therapists, and other types of health care practitioners may carry out these activities. Each practitioner has a clear role in patient care. That role is determined by licensure; credentials; certification; laws and regulations; an individual’s particular skills, knowledge, and experience; and organization policies or job descriptions. Some care may be carried out by the patient, his or her family, or other trained caregivers.
The Assessment of Patients (AOP) standards (also see pages 75–100) describe the basis for care delivery—a plan for each patient based on an assessment of his or her needs. That care may be preventive, palliative, curative, or rehabilitative and may include anesthesia, surgery, medication, supportive therapies, or a combination of these. A plan of care is not sufficient to achieve optimal outcomes. The delivery of the services must be coordinated and integrated by all individuals caring for the patient.
Standards
The following is a list of all standards for this function. They are presented here for your convenience without their intent statements or measurable elements. For more information about these standards, please see the next section in this chapter, Standards, Intents, and Measurable Elements.
Care Delivery for All Patients
COP.1 Policies and procedures and applicable laws and regulations guide the uniform care of all patients.
COP.2 There is a process to integrate and to coordinate the care provided to each patient.