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Guide to Patient and Family Engagement

Exhibit 9. Strategies to Engage Patients and Families as Part of the Health Care Team

Table of Contents

Description	Who is involved	Outcomes measured
Bedside rounds^{2,3,52,107,166-171}
Patients and families participate in rounds. Orders and discharge paperwork clarified, patients / families involved in decisions	Patients, families, usually multidisciplinary teams	Process measures: 85% of families participate in rounds.^107,170 New information discovered from family 46% of time.⁵² Family member added 1 minute to rounding time⁵² vs. family-centered rounds take 20% longer.¹⁷⁰ Outcome measures: Improved patient satisfaction.^{2,3,166,170,171} Improved staff satisfaction.^2,3 Length of stay decreased.¹⁶⁶
Bedside change of shift^172-174
Nurses conduct bedside report for change of shift	Patients, families, incoming/ outgoing nurses	Nurses reported better ability to prioritize work.¹⁷² Decrease in staff time.^172,174 One study noted a decrease in time over shift by 100 hours in first two pay periods.¹⁷² Increased nursing staff and physician satisfaction.^172-174
Patient/family-activated rapid response teams^175,176
Patients encouraged to use internal phone line if notable changes in patient's health or patient's concerns are not being addressed. Team responds within minutes. Patients told at admission with verbal review of guidelines.	Team response includes nursing supervisor; others such as physician, unit nurse, or patient relations coordinator	Patients and families were favorable toward programs.^175,176 Most calls were related to communication issues between patients and clinicians.¹⁷⁶
Specific efforts to increase family participation^57,158,177
Open visitation policy⁵⁷; Presence during invasive procedures¹⁵⁸; Patient given VIP button for family member/ friend and is considered part of care team¹⁷⁷	Family, patient, nurses, and other providers	Only 3% of employees surveyed 6-month post-implementation reported that "performance had been hampered by family members"⁵⁷
Access to medical records by patients and families¹⁶⁹
Allow patients and families to access medical records or online portals for information	Patients, family, provider, online access	More in-depth information about electronic medical records or online portals was not included in this review

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Page last reviewed July 2018

Page originally created September 2012

Internet Citation: Exhibit 9. Strategies to Engage Patients and Families as Part of the Health Care Team. Content last reviewed July 2018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/final-reports/ptfamilyscan/ptfamilyex9.html