With visitors temporarily barred from hospitals, physicians across the country are using video apps to meet with family members to offer clinical updates or discuss end-of-life preferences for critically ill patients. South Shore Hospital, part of South Shore Health, in South Weymouth sought a new way to enable this important communication via FaceTime or Zoom […]
Working on a problem for a family member recently, I was reminded that persistence is an important tool for engaged patients and family members. Fortunately, the problem was not critical and has now been resolved. The experience, however, reinforced my frustration with the needless complexity of our healthcare system, which can bedevil even apparently simple […]
Editor’s Note: This week’s Encore Presentation describes how the Memorial Rehabilitation Institute fixed a safety problem by increasing the engagement of family members. In addition to preventing patient falls, the program improved family communication and satisfaction and unexpectedly decreased the number of patients who needed to transfer to skilled nursing facilities. The Memorial Rehabilitation Institute received […]
Earlier this month, when my almost-90-year-old father fell ill suddenly, I learned anew that engaging patients and family members in medical care is vital, rewarding and challenging. As a writer and editor, I have focused on patient safety and quality improvement, including the role of patients and family members, since 2004. Although well prepared to […]
As a patient advocate for 10-plus years for my father, mother, and now for my spouse who has chronic heart disease, the topic of patient engagement really hits home. It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that if the healthcare industry is to succeed in reducing readmissions and improving outcomes, engagement must include the family. It […]