Guide helps hospitals engage patients, families in their care
Research shows that when patients are engaged in their care, safety and quality can improve measurably. To assist, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed the Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety, an evidence-based resource to help hospitals work with patients and families.
The free guide includes four elements:
- "Communicating to Improve Quality" helps improve communication among patients, family members, clinicians, and hospital staff members from the point of admission.
- "IDEAL Discharge Planning" helps reduce preventable readmissions by engaging patients and family members in the transition from hospital to home.
- "Working with Patients and Families as Advisors" shows how hospitals can work with patients and family members as advisors at the organizational level.
- "Nurse Bedside Shift Report" supports the safe handoff of care between nurses by involving the patient and family in the change of shift report for nurses.
The guide is available at http://1.usa.gov/18UDJ98.
