How do you track post-op infections?

I recently have heard in discussion that patients that have received implants should be tracked for one year. Does anyone know who has mandated this? How do you track your patiens post-operatively?

Started by: Traci Putman (Director, Surgical Services/Director of Nursing) at January 26, 2010 (1:40 pm)

Comments and Responses

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Traci,
We have also been very concerned about the follow up of IOL's. It is a very onerous process to call all of these patients one year out. When we were surveyed by the JC in Feb 2011, we asked specifically about IOL's, and we're informed that we did have to follow up on those at the one year time as well. I would be very interested in where your information was from, since we would really like to stop this practice. It has presented absolutely no useful data as of yet, but has created tremendous workloads.

Kathleen Ware (Director, Surgical Services / Director of Nursing) at November 9, 2011 (1:04 am) [last edited on November 9, 2011 (1:04 am)]

I have to personally track each doctor down for their infection reports on every surgery case that doesn't get returned by 30 days. Since our surgery center is attached to our podiatry center, unfortunately, I also have to personally review every implant patient's clinic chart for an entire year to see if they got an infection throughout their follow up visits. My doctors won't do any further paperwork to meet the one year infection reporting requirement. I'm on my own for that one.

Sherry B. (OR Manager/Supervisor) at October 20, 2011 (2:00 pm)

Our surgical dept. faxes a SSI form to the physicians office on all surgical patients at the end of each day. It is to be placed in the patients chart & to be completed on their follow up appointments, then faxed back to the IC nurse. We send out a list to the physicians quarterly on 1 year follow up dates for patients with implants. Return rate is sometimes poor, so I.C. sends reminder lists of all patients with no response to SSi form quarterly. I would also be interested in what all is considered an "Implant", if there is a list available.

Cheryl H. (OR Manager/Supervisor) at October 4, 2011 (9:34 am)

Joe C.... Suture is a foreign body but we don't document as an implant. Has to be exceptions.

B. Franks (Other) at September 13, 2011 (9:06 am)

I particiapated in a webinar yesterday and they said that IOL's do not count. Thank you all for your responses.

Traci Putman (Director, Surgical Services/Director of Nursing) at August 31, 2011 (3:26 pm)

Joe C, yes you would think it is a duh until you deal with insurance companies who swear that a cadaveric tissue graft is not an "implant" even though it is foreign to the patient in whom it is implanted and supports structures at the operative site. However, that would definitely be something that I will track for a year. And, it is a lot easier when the physicians are in the office downstairs so that I can find them (or they come find me) when there is a problem.

Marcia Van Alstine (Administrator/Director/Manager/Owner/Exec. Officer) at August 31, 2010 (1:51 pm)

Can someone point me to a resource that defines "implant", please? It may sound like a silly question, but none of the references I have read give me any distinctions to use for the 1 year follow-up tracking. What is considered an implant, and where is the regulation, please? Thanks.

Karen Prejean

Karen P. (Other) at August 4, 2010 (11:50 am)

Obviously, when you put a something foreign into the body it is an implant, Duh!

Joe C

Joseph C. (Administrator/Director/Manager/Owner/Exec. Officer) at June 10, 2010 (9:58 am) [last edited on June 10, 2010 (10:00 am)]

Not a response - but wonder if anyone knows if IOL's are considered implants?

Jeanette Rasmussen (Administrator/Director/Manager/Owner/Exec. Officer) at May 25, 2010 (4:16 pm)

Because a PO infection is defined as any infection occuring up to 1 month after surgical procedure, we wait the entire month that follows to send out the complication list to surgeons, so to capture procedures completed at the end of any month. This is frustrating because reports are delayed. I've asked surgeons to verbally report any infection to me as soon as they discover it. A medicare consultant we hired told us that we needed to tract infection reports x 1 yr for implants and we have created a way to run a report off of the clinical log to send monthly reports to surgeons 1 year later. Any non compliance of physicians in getting reports back in a timely basis and/or withholding information are reported/peer reviewed and go into re-credentialling files.

Margaret Lebo (Other) at May 18, 2010 (2:07 pm)

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