BOWEL MOVEMENT CHART
Before direct support staff can record bowel movements, the qualities to be tracked must first have been entered on the provider side of the application first. The registration of the bowel characteristics only needs to be done once and is frequently already done for new companies when they receive the system. If you signed up with Focused after 2018, please skip to section 2.
SECTION 1
To perform registration please log into the provider application, click on the company tab (red arrow) then click on “BM Types” tab (green arrow). If the item lists for stool color, size and texture already exist under the ‘BM Types’ (under the Company tab), please do not duplicate them!
Once the “BM Types” tab is highlighted click on the “+Add New BM Item” button (pink arrow) in the yellow bar.
When the BM Types window opens you will be able to choose individual characteristics of BM (color, size, and texture) one at a time and assign abbreviations for them e.g., Brown color as B. Don’t forget to click the big blue ‘Save’ button when done with each characteristic.
Each characteristic will be listed below the yellow bar as once the save button is clicked. An example of a list of characteristics is given below.
SECTION 2
Now that the characteristics are listed under the company tab direct care staff can chart BM frequency and characteristics.
Have your direct care staff log into the Focused, hover over the “Activity” tab (yellow arrow) in the main menu bar then click on the “Bowel Movement” button (red arrow).
This will open a BM Movement window. Simply choose the relevant patient’s name, date, and time. Then pick an option for each characteristic. Add any comments if needed and then remember to click the big blue “Save” button.
A list of previously created BM entries can be found by opening the consumer’s chart (i.e., clicking on the consumer’s name) and then clicking on the “Bowel Movement Chart” tab (red arrow).
On the provider side of the EHR a report of BM activity for a consumer (or consumers) can be generated by clicking the “Report” button in the main menu bar (red arrow) then clicking on the “General Health Activities” button (purple arrow). Lastly, click on the “Bowel Movement” button (yellow arrow).
When the BM report window opens simply choose the program type, relevant consumer’s name(s) and insert a date then click save (red arrow). A separate pdf report for each consumer for the month chosen will be generated.
