Home Health Aide PDA

About the Home Health Aide PDA Workflow

Setting up and using the Home Health Aide PDA requires you to configure the necessary privileges in the Allscripts Homecare host application, connect a PDA docking cradle to your host computer, and deploy the Allscripts Homecare application to your PDA.

Once you have installed the Home Health Aide application on the PDA, your updated patient schedule will be downloaded to the device every time you synchronize, and any data collected on the device will be uploaded to the host for access within Allscripts Homecare. You set how many days ahead of each synchronization to download Schedule information in Administration>Configuration>Business Units>Settings>PDA tab. From the main Schedule screen in the PDA application, you can view your patient schedule by date and select a patient to:

>	View contact information, diagnoses, resource , and notes

>	Enter TimeLog information for your visit

>	Document tasks performed during the visit

>	Capture the patient's electronic signature

>	Note a visit as unmade

You can review the PDA activity by operator with the PDA Synchronization Register, available in Reports>Field Use in the host application.

Login Screen

Start>Programs>Homecare

In the Login window, enter your login name and password to access the application. After you log in successfully, the Schedule screen appears.

Schedule Screen

The Schedule screen is the main screen of the Homecare PDA application. The Schedule screen includes the date, the list of patients scheduled for that date, and their scheduled times.

Update Visit Windows

Tapping the arrow button from the main Schedule screen on the PDA launches a series of screens that guide you through the steps in documenting the home health aide visit on the PDA:

>	Enter TimeLog information to start the visit

>	Check off completed tasks

>	Enter notes on the visit, if applicable

>	Enter TimeLog information to complete the visit

>	Capture patient signature or the reason the patient is unable to sign

TimeLog Screen

In this first screen of Update Visit, enter the start time of the visit and the mileage and travel time to the visit location, and tap Next to proceed to the next screen.

Ordered Tasks Screen

This screen allows you to view the tasks (interventions) ordered for the patient, as well as the frequency. After you complete the ordered tasks (interventions), you can return to this screen to mark the tasks as completed. You can turn the power off the PDA while assisting the patient, and when you turn the power back on to mark the tasks as complete, the PDA should resume with the Ordered Tasks screen. If not, access Start>Programs and tap Homecare.

Other Tasks Screen

This screen allows you to view and check off routine unassigned tasks (interventions) you perform for the patient other than the tasks ordered for this visit. This screen appears if the option to document against assigned interventions only is not selected in Administration>Configuration>Business Units>Settings>PDA tab.

Vital Sign Capture – Summary Screen

This screen allows capture of temperature, respiration, pulse, blood pressure, height and weight measurements. Tap New Collection to start entering data.

Note: On the Vital Sign Capture screen, controls marked with an asterisk are required to complete.

Vital Sign Capture – Temp Tab

This tab allows you to enter the temperature value, measure, and method.

Vital Sign Capture – Pulse Tab

This tab displays the patient's pulse data for the reading.

Vital Sign Capture – Resp Tab

This tab displays the patient's respiration data for the reading.

Vital Sign Capture – BP Tab

This tab displays the patient's blood pressure reading options.

Vital Sign Capture – Height Tab

This tab displays the patient's height.

Vital Sign Capture – Weight Tab

This tab displays the patient's weight, method used to record the weight, and general characteristic for the record.

Vital Sign Capture – Summary Screen

This screen displays all the vitals for patient.

Environment Capture Screen

On this screen, users can choose environment options that existed at time of capturing the reading.

Vital Sign Capture – Summary Screen

The Summary screen displays all of vital sign data and the environment evaluation options identified.

Note Screen

The Note screen allows you to enter free-text documentation to be associated with the selected patient's record. Upon synchronization with the host the note will be available in Patient>Clinical>Clinical Notes.

On this screen, you have the option to designate the free-text note as Charting, Care Plan, or Communication.

Patient Review and Signature Screen

This screen allows user to capture an electronic image of the patient's signature to verify that the tasks (interventions) were performed as documented on the PDA, or document the reason why the patient is unable to sign.

The screen has two tabs: the Signature tab and the Unable to Sign tab.

Patient Review and Signature - Signature Tab

The Signature tab displays the acknowledgment statement that patients affirm when they sign (pulled from Administration>Configuration>Organization>Patient Signature tab). The tab also includes fields to select the signature type and a field to capture the patient's signature. The patient's signature image is uploaded to the host application when the PDA is next synchronized.

Patient Review and Signature Screen – Unable to Sign Tab

When a patient is unable to sign for a home health aide visit, tap the Unable to Sign tab. Tap one of the reasons from the list to document the reason the patient did not sign for the visit.

TimeLog Screen

On this screen, you can enter the end time for the visit, as well as indirect start, indirect end, or indirect duration times (depending on requirements in Administration>General>Service Codes/Staff).

Unmade Visit Screen

The Unmade Visit screen enables users to select reasons why a visit on the schedule was not made. The list of unmade visit reasons is determined by the reasons defined by the agency system administrator(s) in Administration>General>Unmade Visit Reasons.

Tap the OK button at the top right corner to close the Unmade Visit screen and return to the main Schedule screen.

Details Screen

The Details screen provides information on the patient you selected on the Schedule screen. The Details screen is divided into four tabs: Patient, , Scheduling Notes, and Emergency Contacts.

Tap the OK button in the top right corner to close the Details screen and return to the main Schedule screen.

Details Screen – Patient Tab

The Patient tab includes the patient's address, telephone number, and primary diagnosis, as well as directions to his or her home. This information is obtained from Patient>General>Basic within Allscripts Homecare and is not available for editing on the PDA.

Details Screen – Tab

The tab includes the names, types, and telephone numbers for all resources assigned to the selected patient. This information is downloaded from Patient>Clinical>Care Team within Allscripts Homecare and is not available for editing on the PDA.

Details Screen – Sched Notes Tab

The Scheduling Notes tab includes any notes saved within the scheduled event in Allscripts Homecare. This information is pulled from the Update Visit: Notes screen and cannot be edited on this tab.

Details Screen – Emergency Contacts Tab

The Emergency Contacts tab includes the names and phone numbers of the patient's emergency contacts. Emergency contacts are identified in Patient>General>Family & Friends. A check mark placed in the EC column in the Family & Friends window identifies that the person is an emergency contact. Emergency contact information is not available for editing on the PDA.

Synchronize the PDA

1.	Place the PDA in its docking cradle, or if the PDA is wireless capable, establish a connection with the appropriate wireless network if available.

2.	Tap Menu in the bottom left of the PDA screen.

3.	Select Synchronize from the menu.

The Synchronize screen appears.

4.	Enter your login and password in the fields provided.

5.	Select whether to download only patients on your schedule, or all patients on your team (this option takes longer to synchronize).

6.	Tap Synchronize.

The Synchronization Status screen appears as the PDA uploads data to and downloads data from the host application.

7.	When the Synchronization Complete message appears, tap OK.

Log in to the PDA application

Note: Before logging in, you must have successfully installed the synchronization service and performed an initial synchronization with the PDA.

1.	Power on the PDA.

2.	Access Start>Programs.

3.	Tap the Allscripts Homecare icon.

The application login screen appears.

4.	Enter your operator's login name.

5.	Enter your operator's password.

6.

Tap OK.

The main application Schedule screen appears.

Document a Home Health Aide visit on the PDA

1.	From the main Schedule screen, tap the  button.

The TimeLog screen appears.

2.	Enter the visit start time, mileage and travel time in the fields provided selecting AM or PM as appropriate.

3.

Tap Next.

The Ordered Tasks screen appears.

4.	Review the list of ordered tasks and their frequency.

Note: At this time you may power off the PDA and assist the patient as necessary. When you turn the PDA's power back on, the device should resume where you left off. If it does not, access Start>Programs and tap Allscripts Homecare. The application will resume where you left off.

5.	Tap the check boxes that correspond to the ordered tasks performed, or tap Mark All Done to mark all tasks as completed.

6.

Tap Next.

The Other Tasks screen appears.

7.	Tap the check boxes that correspond to the other (non-ordered) tasks performed.

8.

Tap Next.

The Vital Sign Capture Summary screen appears.

9.	Tap New Collection.

10.	Enter the necessary data to the tabs of the Vital Sign Capture screen.

11.

Tap Next.

The Note screen appears.

12.	Tap the keyboard icon and enter any clinical notes relevant to this visit.

13.	(Optional) Tap the check box(es) next to the appropriate selections to flag the note as Charting, Care Plans, or Communication.

14.

Tap Next.

The Patient Review and Signature screen appears.

15.	Have the patient put his/her signature or select the reason why it is not possible in the Unable to Sign tab.

16.

Tap Next.

The TimeLog screen appears.

17.	Enter the end time for this visit.

18.	Tap Finish.

Note a Visit as Unmade on the PDA

1.	From the main Schedule screen, tap a patient to select it.

2.	Tap the Unmade Visit button.

The Unmade Visit screen appears with the selected patient's name at the top.

3.	In the Choose an Unmade Visit Reason field, tap the arrow and select a reason why the selected visit was not made. The list of unmade visit reasons is downloaded from Administration>General>Unmade Visit Reasons.

4.	Tap the OK button under the Choose an Unmade Visit Reason field to save the unmade visit reason.

5.	To exit the Unmade Visit screen without saving an unmade visit reason, tap the OK button in the upper right corner of the screen.

View Patient Details on the PDA

1.	From the main Schedule screen, tap a patient to select it.

2.	Tap the View Details button.

The Details screen appears with the Patient tab active.

3.	Read the Patient tab for the patient's address, telephone number, diagnosis, and directions to his or her address. This information is stored in Allscripts Homecare under Patient>General>Basic and is not available for editing on the PDA.

4.	Tap the tab.

5.	Read this tab to see which resources have been assigned to this patient. This tab includes resource names, types, and their telephone numbers. This information is stored under Patient>Clinical>Care Team and is not available for editing on the PDA.

6.	Tap the Sched Notes tab.

7.	Read the Sched Notes tab for any notes relevant to the selected visit entered into the Schedule component of Allscripts Homecare. This information is pulled from the Update Visit: Notes screen and is not available for editing in this tab.

8.	Tap the Emergency Contacts tab.

9.	Read the Emergency Contacts tab to see the names and phone numbers of the patient's emergency contacts. This information is pulled from Patient>General>Family & Friends in Allscripts Homecare and is not available for editing on the PDA.

10.	Tap the OK button in the upper right corner of the window to return to the main Schedule screen.

Exit Homecare on the PDA

1.	Tap Menu in the bottom left of the PDA screen.

2.

Tap Exit.

The application shuts down and the PDA returns to the Programs screen.