NewsLine — September 2009 - (Page 18)

Utilizing Volunteers More Fully—With the Help of Technology By Kathy Roble, MS H ave you ever wondered how many potential volunteers you have in your community who want to volunteer from home? Is your hospice organization limited to daytime office hours and can’t tap into the skills and interests of those who work full-time? The availability of encryption computer software provides limitless opportunities to tap into the human resources waiting to assist us, but in the past were constricted by our need to ensure security of patient information as defi ned by good practice and by HIPAA requirements. Individuals who volunteer for hospice programs with secure networks can email the friends and family of a patient with updates on his/her condition, with the patient’s prior approval. What a gift for a daughter who lives in California to receive an email from her mother’s volunteer in Florida, letting her know that her mother received a visit from the hospice team that morning and was resting comfortably. The volunteer can let the daughter know that her mother is looking forward to seeing her and can pass on her request to “please bring some family pictures too.” Encryption software provides the opportunity for communication that may not have existed before. Through secure email, volunteers can also advise the interdisciplinary team that they will be out of town and can’t visit their patients, without fear that confidential information will be shared or the patients will be identified. There are no limits to the possibilities for better communication between volunteers, patients and families, and the hospice team. Required Processes Become Easier Too Volunteer visit notes must be provided for each visit made with a patient or family member, and most volunteer managers struggle to fi nd ways to retrieve those visit notes. Preparing the notes is a particular challenge for working volunteers who not only have to document each visit by hand, but also sign and mail the note back to the hospice after working a long day in their regular paid job. With the freedom and flexibility that encryption software provides, volunteers can utilize e-note technology that many hospice IT departments make available to staff. This level of efficiency is what working volunteers demand more and more. Encryption software can also be a helpful tool for volunteers who Encryption provide bereavement support. Counselors software can email the lists of patients’ survivors to provides the these specially trained volunteers who can opportunity for then make a reassuring phone call or visit to the communication person who is grieving, document the call or that may not have visit on a bereavement existed before. volunteer e-note, and email it back to the counselor. The bereaved receive the care and support they need and the volunteers are able to do the work without ever leaving home. (Of course, volunteers should be instructed to notify the counselor immediately about any urgent issues.) As technology increases, there will be even more opportunities to maximize the potential use of our valuable volunteer workforce. How many times have we heard from recent volunteer-training graduates, “I wish I had known earlier about the programs and services of hospice when my family member was ill?” Providing those in our community who want to assist with the tools that will make volunteering more manageable empowers them, helps our patients and families, and supports our organizations. Utilize technology and open up the possibilities. Kathy Roble has been director of volunteer services for Suncoast Hospice (formerly The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast) since 1994. She has served as NCHPP’s Volunteer/Volunteer Management Section leader since 2004, and assumed the additional role of NCHPP vice-chair in 2008. 18 NewsLine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine — September 2009

NewsLine - September 2009
Contents
Introduction
Archstone Foundation Grant: Exploring the Role of Spiritual Care in Palliative Care
Working for a Greener Future
Transforming Care at the Bedside
Point of Care Documentation: Perception Versus Reality
A Technophobe Signs On
Utilizing Volunteers More Fully
HIPAA and Technology: Some Considerations
Keeping the Attending Physician Involved

NewsLine — September 2009

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