Which action is an indirect care intervention?

Which action is an indirect care intervention?

• A. Advocacy for patients and families
• B. Hand hygiene
• C. Ambulating the patient
• D. Teaching use of incentive spirometer

Answer: (A)

Indirect care interventions are actions that support the patient without performing hands‑on care with the patient. They include coordinating care, communicating with the healthcare team, and advocating for the patient’s rights, preferences, and needs. Advocacy for patients and families fits this, because it involves speaking up for the patient, ensuring informed consent, honoring wishes, and securing resources or services—done to influence care without directly performing a procedure or physical assistance. In contrast, ambulating the patient is a hands-on task that involves moving the patient, which is direct care. Teaching how to use an incentive spirometer also requires direct interaction with the patient to demonstrate and supervise the technique. Hand hygiene, while essential for safety, is a preventive action performed during direct patient care rather than an advocacy or coordination activity.

Indirect care interventions are actions that support the patient without performing hands‑on care with the patient. They include coordinating care, communicating with the healthcare team, and advocating for the patient’s rights, preferences, and needs.

Advocacy for patients and families fits this, because it involves speaking up for the patient, ensuring informed consent, honoring wishes, and securing resources or services—done to influence care without directly performing a procedure or physical assistance.

In contrast, ambulating the patient is a hands-on task that involves moving the patient, which is direct care. Teaching how to use an incentive spirometer also requires direct interaction with the patient to demonstrate and supervise the technique. Hand hygiene, while essential for safety, is a preventive action performed during direct patient care rather than an advocacy or coordination activity.