A. P.O.O.P. — Patient Output Obligation Protocol
P.O.O.P.
P — Patient
O — Obligatory
O — Output
P — Protocol
O — Obligatory
O — Output
P — Protocol
Definition: No patient shall be discharged from any Saint Rectory Memorial facility without at least one (1) documented fecal event — defined as the physical passage of feces from the body, observed and verified by a licensed clinical staff member.
Documentation Requirements — The Fecal Output Log (FOL) must include:
- Date and time of fecal event
- Approximate volume (small, moderate, large, "remarkable")
- Consistency (Bristol Stool Scale, Type 1–7)
- Color
- Whether the patient announced it, denied it, or "blamed the bed"
- Name of verifying nurse (must have personally confirmed feces — no hearsay, no "I think she went," no "the bathroom smelled like she went")
💰 Billing Note
Each documented fecal event supports GEV-1 coding, which contributes to our Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) reimbursement tier. A patient discharged with no documented fecal output defaults to a lower reimbursement tier, and frankly, we are not running a charity. We are running a hospital. An excellent hospital. Where people poop. And we get paid for it.
Questions regarding this policy may be directed to:
David R. Stoolworthy, M.H.A., M.B.A.
Chief Operating Officer — Saint Rectory Memorial Hospital System
Email: dstoolworthy@saintrectory.org
Phone: Ext. 2800
Phone: Ext. 2800