Family-centered rounds most prevalent
A study published in the recent issue of Pediatrics finds that 44% of pediatric hospitalists practice family-centered rounding. The study surveyed the hospitalists to find what the most prevalent type of rounding is, as well as the benefits of doing so. Of the 265 respondents, the majority said their facilities did use family-centered rounding, although academic medical centers were more likely to do so than community hospitals. The other types of rounding to which hospitals subscribed include sit down (which 24% use), hallway (which 21% use), and “other” (which 11% use).
Additional findings from the study include barriers to conducting family-centered rounds, which include a lack of space and trainees feeling uncomfortable about discussing a patient’s care in front of his or her family. However, generally family-centered rounding was thought to improve communication among the members of the medical team, as well as between the family and the medical staff.
What is the norm at your facility? It surprised me that such a high percentage of hospitalists round in this way. However, the survey was mostly focused on pediatric hospitalists, and pediatric facilities or even programs at larger hospitals often have a larger focus on the patient’s family and family involvement.
About the Author: Heather Comak is a Managing Editor at HCPro, Inc., where she is the editor of the monthly publication Briefings on Patient Safety, as well as patient safety-related books, webcasts, and audio conferences. She is also is the Assistant Director of the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (www.accreditationprofessional.com) and manages Patient Safety Monitor (www.patientsafetymonitor.com), of which this blog is a part.
Contact Heather by e-mailing hcomak@hcpro.com
