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WESLEY REHABILITATION HOSPITAL, AN AFFILIATE OF EN
PATIENT RIGHTS: NOTICE OF GRIEVANCE DECISION
Tag No.: A0123
Based on document review and staff interview the hospital failed to provide to the patient and/or legal guardian a written notice of the resolution of a grievance that included the name of the hospital contact person, the steps taken on behalf of the patient to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance process, and the date of completion for 1 of 10 records reviewed (Patient 1). This deficient practice puts any patient and/or legal guardian who file a grievance uninformed of the actions taken by the hospital to resolve the grievance.
Findings include:
- Review of the hospital's "COMPLAINT/GRIEVANCE LOG" provided by the hospital on 1/29/18 revealed the hospital investigated the grievance by Patient 1 and patient's guardian on 12/31/18 regarding radiology staff that was too rough with the patient. The grievance log indicated the date follow up completed occurred on 1/4/18. The outcome documentation revealed; "resolved verbally with daughter. Patient sent to ED (emergency department) for assessment, no acute findings on full exam and diagnostic testing". Under the heading of "date letter sent", documentation read, "None sent, resolved at time".
Staff A administrative staff, interviewed on 1/30/18 at 2:15pm in the conference room, explained they talked to Patient 1 and their daughter the day of the incident and they were not upset with the care provided by the hospital. They were upset with the radiology staff. Staff A explained they told the patient and daughter that the radiology technician would not have this radiology technician work with the patient again. Staff A explained they talked with corporate risk management and they felt the family verbalized content with the resolution the night of the incident and determined they did not have to send a grievance letter.
- The hospital's policy titled "PATIENT COMPLAINT/GRIEVANCE POLICY" reviewed on 1/29/18 directed, " ...A written communication must be sent to the patient (or patient's legal representative), even if other methods of communication are used (such as a family meeting) ..."