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Guide to Patient and Family Engagement

Exhibit 2. Categories and Questions in the Environmental Scan

Table of Contents

Category	Questions
Individual characteristics, perspectives, and needs of the target audiences	What are patients' and families' perspectives (knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs) on patient safety and quality of care? How can patients and families contribute to these areas? How do they want to contribute or feel capable of contributing to these areas? What is their current role in these areas? What are providers' perspectives (knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs) on patient and family engagement in safety and quality of care? What is their role? How can providers encourage and support patient and family engagement? How do they want to encourage and support or feel capable of encouraging and supporting patient and family engagement? What are the likely external and internal resources, facilitators, and constraints? What behaviors from patients, families, and providers lead to improved patient safety and quality of care? What facilitates or challenges these behaviors? What are the best ways to build partnerships among patients, families, and health care professionals to improve health care safety and quality? Which educational and communication strategies are most appropriate for each audience?
Organizational context within hospitals	How does organizational culture and infrastructure influence patient and family engagement in patient safety and quality, including partnerships among patients, families, and health professionals? What are the barriers and facilitators? How can we motivate hospitals to undertake patient and family engagement efforts? What current hospital efforts and standards (e.g., HCAHPS, Joint Commission) can be linked with patient and family engagement? What economic models exist for the benefits of patient and family engagement? How can hospital leaders motivate employees to undertake activities to further patient and family engagement? What are the needs and resources of hospital leadership?
Hospital-based interventions and materials	What strategies and interventions have been identified to engage patients and families in their care and decisionmaking? Who introduces these interventions in the hospital? What outcomes are associated with these interventions? What tools and materials are currently available to support patients, families, and health care professionals in facilitating patient and family engagement and to facilitate partnerships among patients, families, and health care professionals to plan, implement, and evaluate patient and family engagement in quality and safety? Who introduces these tools? What are the outcomes associated with these tools? How are AHRQ's current tools and resources being used? Which points of hospital care and communication are most amenable to intervention or most likely to facilitate greater engagement (e.g., rounds, shift change, discharge)?
Content of the Guide	Given the availability of and gaps in current resources, what topics should be included in the Guide? What existing materials can be used in their current form? What existing materials can be adapted or modified? What new materials need to be developed?
Dissemination of the Guide	What are the most effective modes for disseminating the Guide? What are the most effective sustainability models (e.g., centers of excellence, support centers) to ensure continued use and support of the Guide?

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Page last reviewed July 2018

Page originally created September 2012

Internet Citation: Exhibit 2. Categories and Questions in the Environmental Scan. Content last reviewed July 2018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/final-reports/ptfamilyscan/ptfamilyex2.html