Reducing Loss To Follow Up in Foster Children: Standardizing the Intake Protocol

<p>This paper focuses on the intake process at a pediatric primary care clinic whose patient population is primarily foster children. <strong> </strong>The end goal was to contribute to a decrease in patients who are lost to follow up due to a non-standardized process of admitting patients to the clinic. This was a pilot project establishing a standard protocol for the intake of patients to the clinic. The project date range is from May 2015 through November 2015.</p> <p>In the absence of a standardized protocol, the staff identified by interview that many children were very likely lost to follow up due to differences in provider methods and in advice given to the foster caregiver. The success of the standardized method was reported via staff vocalization that a unified process would close this gap. The solution being advising foster caregivers of the necessity to return the child to a clinic where providers are experts in child abuse and neglect. A major component of that gap was not providing foster caregivers with an appointment before the child is taken to the foster home. The standardization of the intake protocol provided a checklist with a prompt to give the foster caregiver a follow up appointment, along with providing a document where communication can be recorded. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Level thesis:degree_level

Restricted Project/Capstone - USF access only

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Balch Delacey, Mary Suzanne

Contributors dc:contributor

• Carlee Stewart, DNP, FNP, CNL

• foster
• foster care
• foster children. loss to follow up
• intake
• intake protocol
• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Nursing

Repository record dc:identifier

https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/219

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.usfca.edu:capstone-1230