How does your hospital rate? These tenets will tell
Here are the tenets of patient- and family-centered care, defined by Beverly Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Family-centered Care in Bethesda, MD:
1.
Patient- and family-centered care is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among health care providers, patients, and families. It redefines the relationships between and among consumers and health providers.
2.
Patient- and family-centered practitioners recognize the vital role that families play in ensuring the health and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and family members of all ages. They acknowledge that emotional, social, and developmental support are integral components of health care. They promote the health and well-being of individuals and families and restore dignity and control to them.
3.
Patient- and family-centered care is an approach to health care that shapes policies, programs, facility design, and day-to-day staff interactions. It leads to better health outcomes, wiser allocation of resources, and greater patient and family satisfaction.
4.
In patient- and family-centered care:
• People are treated with dignity and respect.
• Health care providers communicate and share complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful.
• Individuals and families build on their strengths by participating in experiences that enhance control and independence.
• Collaboration among patients, families, and providers occurs in policy and program development and professional education, as well as in the delivery of care.
How centered on patients and families is the care at your facility? Use this checklist to find out:
1.
Do the hospital’s or health system’s vision, mission, and philosophy of care statements reflect the principles of patient- and family-
centered care?
2.
Are the vision, mission, and philosophy communicated clearly throughout the hospital to patients, families, and others in the community?
3.
Do patients and families serve as advisors to the hospital or health system? In what ways are the patients and families involved in the orientation and education of employees? In the hospital’s quality improvement initiatives? In the design planning process?
4.
Are there opportunities for patients and families to serve as advisors to admissions and other access departments/programs? Are patients and families who have experienced frequent hospitalizations members of working committees to develop new processes or improve existing ones?
5.
Are hospital policies, programs, and staff practices consistent with the view that families are allies and important to patient well-being? Are families considered visitors?
6.
What systems are in place to ensure that patients and families have access to complete, unbiased, and useful information?
7.
Does the hospital’s human resources system support the practice of patient- and family-centered care? Do job descriptions and performance appraisals convey the importance of showing respect to and collaborating with patients and families in clinical care and in developing and improving systems of care?
8.
In academic medical centers, how do the education programs prepare students and professionals-in-training for patient- and family-centered practice?
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