Two years ago, the percentage of Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) in hospitals was estimated at 40 percent by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and confirmed by the Partnership For Patients. According to the Beryl Institute, that figure has risen to 55 percent as the case for PFACs gains momentum giving patients […]
The definition of patient experience closes with a critical phrase. One gaining increased attention as people talk about the subject of patient experience. Those words – across the continuum of care – anchor the definition with a clear statement that individuals do not simply frame their healthcare encounters in single clinical moments, but rather across […]
Child birth is a time of joy and excitement for mother and family, but it also can be filled with uncertainty and concern – not just for the first-time parent or mom dealing with an at-risk pregnancy, but for anyone. The question is how can you create the “ideal” care delivery experience for each of […]
The rising emphasis on “The Patient Experience” has stimulated an overwhelming spectrum of improvement offerings: patient-centered architecture, facility design, technology devices, patient engagement/education tools, survey evaluation tools, marketing campaigns, fashionable hospital gowns, artistic decor…and so much more! How do we rank and prioritize the plethora of improvement opportunities? What is MOST important? Communication represents a […]
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month which I think everyone knows by now. It would be difficult to forget as the world seems to be awash in pink. And for some of us, October 13 is the most important day of this month – it is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. I am a member […]
Examining the various clinical skills courses implemented in medical schools across the country has revealed several overarching changes in medical education that have substantially impacted the patient experience. These include communication, empathy, doctoring, interprofessional courses and a number of courses which include patient or family centered in their titles. The digital age ushered in a […]
Although I am not crazy about it, Ned goes everywhere I go. You know Ned, “no evidence of disease” – that Ned. Funny, my husband sort of likes him. Ned lulls him into thinking everything is all right even though all three of us know it is not true. That is the way it often […]
Republished with permission from SarahBethRN.com. Patient engagement is a trendy topic for healthcare providers – the latest spin terminology for “patient compliance” – as in how do I get patients to follow treatment protocols? Take better care of themselves? Especially now that payment for my services may be negatively affected by bad outcomes and poor […]
As a patient advocate for more than a decade, I felt exhilarated when I first read, Safety is Personal, the Report on Consumer Engagement in Patient Safety published by the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Lucian Leape Institute. It gets to the point quickly with its call to action: Engage patients and families as partners. While […]
The idea of patient-centered care resonates well with me, and other nurses who have long valued the central role of patients and families in the delivery of care. Some of my most memorable pediatric patients had miraculous recoveries, and the one aspect that all of these patients had in common was an engaging family support […]