Developing a Care Plan post assessment is essential as it consolidates your clinical observations, your client’s objectives, the healing progression, and the selected interventions needed to achieve the desired results. This process not only showcases your expertise they are seeking in their care but also emphasizes the collaborative effort required for their recovery.
There are pivotal points throughout your client’s care to discuss and review the Care Plan. These are at the initial assessment, your first follow up appointment with your client, and every 2-3 weeks throughout their treatment, or when they are moving from one stage of healing to the next.
The Care Plan is a valuable take-away for the client to reference what was discussed and agreed upon at the assessment. It allows them to revisit their goals, track their healing progress, and stay informed about the recommended treatments and scheduling. Furthermore, it empowers them to anticipate the upcoming steps, seek clarification when needed, and ensure that their expectations align with the treatment plan.
Why develop a Care Plan?
Communication and documentation of the care plan improves client understanding of their care journey and their required participation in the care plan. It also drives trust and engagement. They will understand:
- their injury/diagnosis;
- how their recovery is expected to progress through the three stages of healing and how long this will take (prognosis);
- what to expect during their treatment (from themselves and from you);
- what success looks like; and
- meaningful and mutually agreed upon goals.
How to build a Care Plan?
- A follow up visit should be scheduled with your client within 48 hours following all new assessments. It allows for:
- Review of recommended pain control strategies and other interventions to determine effectiveness and provide reassurance or modify if required.
- Ongoing building of rapport and trust over the pain control phase of care.
- Progression of pain control strategies and other exercises to further meet client’s expectations of recovery.
- Comparison of actual treatment response to anticipated treatment response to confirm working diagnosis.
- Include higher frequency of care in first 1-3 weeks
- 90% of patients have the expectation of pain control – what better way to engage a client than to meet and exceed their expectations in the first 1-2 weeks of care?
- Greater dosage of care in the first 2-3 weeks leads to better outcomes with pain control (Long et al. 2004, LBP study) – 6 visits in 2 weeks, when prescribing exercises for pain conrol was found to have 🡪 7.8x greater likelihood of an outcome of reduced pain.
- Establish rapport and meet the client’s expectations
- Be clear on the goals of each stage of healing and the importance of completing each stage
- Clarity on the stages of healing and the goals of each stage improve client understanding and participation in care.
- Clients need to know that once their pain is under control, treatment isn’t complete. It is crucial to continue to ensure full recovery of movement and function are achieved for optimal outcomes.
- Multidisciplinary care
- The addition of a kinesiologist, or other healthcare practitioners, in all stages of recovery increases knowledge transfer to the client and ensures the client is receiving active care which has a positive effect on client outcomes.
Schedule the Care plan and STICK TO IT
It is important to schedule out the care plan with your client to ensure they are booked in for the times most suitable for them at the frequency recommended by you.
You are your client’s leader in their recovery. The client is looking to you for your expertise, knowledge, and re-assurance.
Messaging with confidence on how and what is required to achieve an outcome AND sticking to it will build your client’s trust and perceived efficacy in you. This confidence in you, combined with their experience all have a large impact on their outcome (up to 60% actually!).
