Please distribute to all managers and staff in your respective zone
We have recently identified that the Health Information Services (HIS) standardized intake fax line is not receiving all the Patient-Centered Priorities and Goals of Care (GOC) forms from NS Health acute care, palliative, and community-based settings.
It is essential that HIS standardized fax line receives BOTH PAGES of the form to ensure alerts/flags indicating the patient’s levels of intervention choice are added to the patient’s medical record.
Please do not send the form to your local HIS fax line – they are unable to upload the flags to the patient’s health record.
Please remind staff to ensure they fax both pages of the GOC form when sending it to HIS at 902-473-4999 as noted at the bottom of the form, even if the second page is not completed. A poster has been developed for units to print and post near fax machines to help reinforce this important reminder for staff.
The Patient-Centered Priorities and Goals of Care form supports the documentation of pertinent information discussed with patients and their essential care partners (ECPs) and/or substitute decision makers (SDMs) when facing a serious illness or condition, and when current or future treatment and care decisions need to be made. The form is now in use within NS Health acute care settings, and efforts are underway to roll it out across other care settings.
Please reach out to the project team at EIACNetwork@nshealth.ca if you have questions.
To learn more about the Patient Centered and Goals of Care form and related resources visit the Goals of Care Library Guide.
Thank you,
Integrated Acute and Episodic Care Network
Palliative Care Network
