After Hours Triage and Core Services Regulation

After Hours Triage and Core Services

If you are struggling to decipher the Conditions of Participation as it relates to outsourcing any part of your after hours triage for hospice or after hours triage for home care and core services operations and whether or not it conflicts with Core Services, we have some answers for you regarding After Hours Triage and Core Services.

Back in 2015 the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) released a clarifying statement on the use of after-hours on-call triage services. NHPCO reminded its members that under the federal hospice Conditions of Participation (COP), hospices must routinely provide substantially all core services, including nursing services, directly by hospice employees such as patient assessments, care planning, updates to the plan of care, and in-person visits.

The NHPCO issued 3 key statements and regulations:

1. Demonstrate, through procedure and documentation, that the nursing needs of your patients are being met by hospice-employed nurses
2. Insure your hospices still employ and assign a sufficient number of on-call nurses who can meet the 24/7 nursing needs of your patients.
3. Work with your after hours triage vendor to establish procedures to ensure that triage vendor’s personnel are not replacing the role of the hospice’s employed on-call nurses.

The NHPCO’s comments have been instrumental in reducing the confusion in our industry about the use of remote based triage services like IntellaTriage.

Condition of Participation & Coordination of Services

The team of nationwide registered nurses that IntellaTriage employs will triage patient/caregiver calls, and work diligently and with great care to assess your patient’s needs and try to resolve any and every concern before contacting your on-call nurse. We our perform that triage based on your customized protocols and procedures (NOT OURS). We do not violate any COP or Core Services regulations by providing any of the professional nursing services described in 42 C.F.R. §418.56.

Plan of Care & Core Services

Our network of nationwide registered nurses do not provide any core services, as described in 42 C.F.R. §418.64, by making patient assessments, or updates to a plan of care. When you work with IntellaTriage your organization will continue to be responsible for directing, coordinating, and supervising the care and services provided by your staff.

Overcoming Your Staffing Challenges

IntellaTriage has been the number provider of affordable triage for over 9 years with clients across the nation and we want  hospice and palliative care providers to know that IntellaTriage does not attempt to replace core services staff. We work to support, assist and help every organization maintain the level care their patients expect for their patients, caregivers and staff.  Contact us today to learn more.