What’s the difference, where to find each one, and how to stay survey-ready
Overview
HospiceWorks supports two related—but different—Plan of Care workflows:
IPOC (Initial Plan of Care)
A Day-1 admission plan built from your admission documentation. It is finalized by the RN and then approved/signed by the physician.IDG/Comprehensive POC
The team-reviewed plan of care discussed and updated by the interdisciplinary group/team (IDG/IDT) and supported by meeting documentation.
These are not the same record, even though the IPOC may appear in the same dashboard list for tracking.
What is the IPOC in HospiceWorks
IPOC = the Initial Plan of Care built automatically from:
Initial Nursing Assessment (INA)
Initial Physician Order (IPO)
Active Care Plans
(and related admission items available in the chart)
Who completes it?
RN finalizes
Physician approves/signs
Why HospiceWorks auto-creates it
The Admission Workflow is designed to help you meet the required initial planning window by building the IPOC automatically from what you already documented, reducing duplicate entry and ensuring a complete initial plan.
What is the IDG/Comprehensive POC
IDG/Comprehensive POC = the interdisciplinary plan reviewed/updated by the team and supported by:
IDG/IDT meeting documentation
Updates reflecting team discussion and coordination
Who completes it?
The IDG/IDT team (RN, SW, Chaplain, etc.) as applicable
Supported by the meeting note/minutes and ongoing updates
Why the IPOC may appear in the IDG/Comprehensive POC list dashboard
In the new Admission Workflow, HospiceWorks automatically creates the IPOC and places it in the IDG/Comprehensive POC list dashboard for visibility and tracking.
Important:
Even if the IPOC appears in that list area, it is still the RN-finalized Initial Plan of Care (built from INA + IPO + Care Plans) and routed for physician signature. It is not the same as the IDG/Comprehensive POC “team meeting” documentation record.
IPOC Effective Date (Build-Through Rule)
The IPOC is built using all data available up to the IPOC Effective Date.
What this means
The IPOC will pull in Care Plans, medication-care plan links, and admission data that are effective/entered on or before the IPOC Effective Date.
If items are added after the IPOC Effective Date, they may not appear in the IPOC unless updated appropriately.
Why HospiceWorks defaults the IPOC Effective Date to Day 5
The default date is a compliance safeguard to support completion within the initial planning window.
Hospices can revise the IPOC Effective Date earlier if the plan is ready sooner.
Critical workflow requirements for accurate IPOC output
To ensure the IPOC includes the correct information:
1) Complete Care Plans (don’t leave them in Draft)
Draft Care Plans may not flow into the IPOC.
Activate/complete the Care Plan(s) so they are included.
2) Link medications to Care Plans (if not done during the IPO)
If medications are not linked to the appropriate Care Plan(s), the IPOC may be incomplete.
Complete medication-care plan linkage in Medication Management.
3) Confirm Effective Dates
Care Plan Effective Dates should be on or before the IPOC Effective Date so the items flow into the IPOC build.
Late Entry rule (Care Plan Effective Dates)
HospiceWorks allows Late Entry Care Plan effective dates up to 7 days back.
When to use this
If a Care Plan was not added on the day of admission, you can still add it with a Late Entry effective date (within the 7-day window) so it can:
flow into the IPOC (if the effective date is on/before the IPOC Effective Date), and/or
be reflected in future Comprehensive POCs
Patient Dashboard Alerts (live January 22)
HospiceWorks will display patient dashboard alerts to prevent missed items:
Draft Care Plan Alert
Displays when any Care Plan remains in Draft.
Clears automatically when all Care Plans are completed/active.
Medication Management Alert
Displays when medication management is incomplete, including meds not linked to Care Plans.
Clears automatically when required items are completed.
Survey-ready clarification (what to say if asked)
If a surveyor asks about timing, keep it simple and factual:
Suggested wording:
“We reviewed the patient at IDT/IDG on [date]. Separately, the EMR generates the Initial Plan of Care (IPOC) from the admission documentation (INA/IPO/Care Plans) using an Effective Date that acts as a build-through date within the required initial planning window. The IPOC is finalized by the RN and approved/signed by the physician. The team’s IDT/IDG review is reflected in our meeting documentation and Comprehensive POC updates.”
Quick FAQs
Q1: Is the IPOC the same as the IDG/Comprehensive POC?
No. The IPOC is the initial RN-finalized plan routed for physician signature. The IDG/Comprehensive POC is the team-reviewed plan supported by meeting documentation.
Q2: Why do I see the IPOC in the IDG/Comprehensive POC list dashboard?
For tracking/visibility. The IPOC may display there, but it remains the Initial Plan of Care workflow (RN finalize → MD sign).
Q3: What does the IPOC Effective Date mean?
It is the “build-through” date. The IPOC pulls in data available up to that date.
Q4: Why didn’t my Care Plan show up in the IPOC?
Most common reasons: the Care Plan is still Draft, the effective date is after the IPOC Effective Date, or it wasn’t active at the time of build.
Q5: Why didn’t a medication show correctly in the IPOC?
Most common reason: the medication was not linked to the appropriate Care Plan(s) in Medication Management.
Q6: Can I add a Care Plan late and still have it included?
Yes—HospiceWorks supports Late Entry Care Plan effective dates up to 7 days back. If the effective date is on/before the IPOC Effective Date, it can flow into the IPOC.
Q7: What do the new alerts mean?
They’re reminders on the Patient Dashboard for Draft Care Plans and incomplete Medication Management (including meds not linked to Care Plans). They clear automatically once resolved.