HA3110D – Quality Improvement and Risk Management
Discussion 07.2: Partnering with Families
For this discussion you will be accepting the role of patient advocate as well as a care provider. As you recall from week one, number two on the National Quality Strategy Priorities list is patient-and-family centered care.
Prior to the 1980s, family and visitors were restricted to a few hours at a time and absolutely prohibited to stay overnight. When family arrived on discharge day, home care instructions were minimal at best. Invasive treatments, such as bladder irrigation (common at the time) were demonstrated to the patient and family, instructed them to perform the task every day and call if any problems. Family members DID call, and patients did return–with raging infections, wound dehiscence, and irreparable complications.
Fortunately, with the advent of patient-and family-centered care, adequate, on-going education, training and caregiver participation has reduced re-admissions and complications.
Reflect upon what you have learned about changing the concept from families as “visitors” to families as partners. Using the Institute for Family- and Patient-Centered Care website to view sample policies. Identify the policy you like best and respond as assigned below.
In your initial response by Thursday, 1. Choose a policy and discuss what factors might be most important to the patient and family, and what factors might be most important to healthcare providers.* 2. What might be potential risk factors for implementing this policy?
*In this instance, providers refers to all employee who work in healthcare