Client Communications System

Handouts

In this section, you will find several documents such as a complete program outline and individual CCS position guidelines. Make copies of them as needed. For example, you may wish to provide spokespersons with a copy of the program outline and the guidelines for spokespersons.

• Guidelines for PAC Representatives and Alternates

• Guidelines for Staff Coordinator

• Guidelines for working as the CCS Administrative Team

• Guidelines for Spokespersons

• Statement of Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities

• Statement of Grievance Process

• The Renal Network Organizational Chart

Guidelines for PAC Representatives and Alternates

As PAC Representative and Alternate, you play a key role in the Client Communication System program:

• You provide leadership and vision.

• You work as a team with the staff coordinator.

• You define the Client Communication System program at your facility by letting the needs of your facility determine how you implement the program.

• You work to obtain the resources needed to support the program.

As PAC Representative, you:

1. Serve on the Network's Patient Advisory Council and attend the Network's Patient Advisory Council meetings/workshops to represent the patients of the facility;
2. Support Network projects by responding to requests for input as well as sharing Network materials and information with others at facility;
3. Gather information from Shift/Modality Spokespersons regarding patient issues, concerns, suggestions, etc.;
4. Meet with the Staff Coordinator on a regular basis to share information or to discuss issues related to the facility, patients, and/or the Network.
5. Together with the Staff Coordinator, meet with the facility administrator on a regular basis to share information or to discuss issues related to the facility and patients.
6. Attend and co-chair the CCS meeting and shares the CCS Meeting Report.
7. Attend and co-chair general patient meetings.
8.  

As the PAC Alternate, you:

1. Attend the Network PAC meetings with the PAC representative when possible or as a substitute for the Representative, if needed;
2. Attend CCS meetings as needed;
3. Assists the PAC representative in Network and Client Communication System activities as needed;

Guidelines for Staff Coordinator

The Client Communication System program needs a staff coordinator to work with the representative to communicate with the facility administration and other departments.

• You, as an employee of the facility, can do certain things that a patient cannot -- for example, reserving a meeting room and requesting refreshments.

• You are the key to communication with other facility departments or professional groups.

• You work with the PAC representative to secure the needed resources, such as, a bulletin board and suggestion box for the program. Facilitate making copies of forms and flyers as needed.

As the Staff coordinator, you:

1. Work with the PAC representative and the staff of each shift and modality to recruit patients to serve as Spokespersons;
2. Along with the PAC representative maintain a current listing of the Representative, Alternate, and Spokespersons, including their addresses and phone numbers;
3. Meet with the PAC representative every other month (or as needed) to share information or to discuss issues related to the facility, patients, and/or the Network.
4. Together with the PAC representative meet with the facility administrator on a regular basis to share information or to discuss issues related to the facility and patients.
5. Working with the PAC representative co-facilitates the CCS and general patient meetings.
6. Working with the PAC representative completes the meeting documentation form and provides a copy to the PAC representative and to the administrative staff.

Guidelines for Working as the

CCS Administrative Team

(PAC representative, alternate and Staff Coordinator)

As a team you will:

• Set Up the Program

• Become familiar with the Client Communication System.

• Think about how you can implement the program in your facility. Together decide how the program will work at your facility and which projects you take on and in what order you will do them.

• Talk about how to recruit spokespersons. Identify some patients that you feel will be good at this volunteer position.

• Maintain the program:

• Plan the Client Communication System program for the next two months or so. Also discuss long-range goals.

• Keep a current list of all key people in the program. You need the names and phone numbers (maybe even addresses) of primary contacts at the Network, primary contacts at the facility, and spokespersons. See the suggested forms in the "Tools" section.

• Schedule a Client Communication System administrative meeting (every other month or sooner, if needed). This meeting with the administrator or his/her representative will serve to share information and discuss issues related to the facility, the patients, and the Network.

• As needed, schedule a meeting with the alternate and spokespersons to discuss CCS administrative meeting outcomes and when appropriate invite other members of administration and/or other departments.

• From time to time, you may want to schedule a general meeting for patients.

Guidelines for Spokespersons

As a spokesperson for the Client Communication System program, you will represent the many patients on your shift or other treatment modality.

This means that you are a communications link between the patients and the representative. Your prime job is to foster open, two-way communications.

• Talk to patients that you represent, making note of their concerns, issues, suggestions, etc.

• Relay this information. (Speak directly to the representative, submit as a meeting item or direct as otherwise needed.)

Communicate to all patients you represent:

• Solutions, resolutions or actions taken to the patient issues you brought forward.

• Network news and educational materials.

• Facility news

Suggestions for Communicating

If you are representing a dialysis shift, plan how you will see each patient face-to-face. Perhaps you can talk to them in the waiting room. Perhaps you can speak to them when you come off the machine and/or talk to them as they come off. Or, you may want to pass around materials or memos while everyone is on dialysis using a check off list to keep track of who has gotten to see the materials (ask you PAC Rep for a copy of this form). Figure out something that works for you.

If you are representing patients on another treatment modality (home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or transplantation), you might request that your name and phone number might be passed along to them so that they can contact you and become a part of the program.

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