The Impact Of Physician Communication On Family Inpatient Experience

The Impact Of Physician Communication On Family Inpatient Experience

Patient satisfaction is affected by physician communication styles and communication at the bedside. The investigators are conducting a randomized controlled trial involving both providers and families to determine if providers sitting down while talking with families, will improve one aspect of quality care delivered during an inpatient stay as measured by patient/family satisfaction. The investigators will additionally study the affects of the intervention on the following outcomes: family assessment of provider communication, readmission rates, and length of stay.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Providers: all attendings, residents, and medical students involved in the care of patients on the pediatric inpatient wards during the study period.
• Families (Parents or legal guardians and children):
• (1) inpatient admissions to the pediatrics medical service at Boston Medical Center
• (2) whose parents or guardian have agreed to participate in family centered walk rounds
• (3) patients age 17 or younger who have family members present at the bedside each morning of hospitalization
• (4) English speaking.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) All patients/families that as part of admission justification involves social assessment and concern by the patient care team, including patients with neonatal abstinence syndrome, child maltreatment, and concern for neglect.
• (2) All patients transferred to or from PICU as part of their inpatient care
• (3) All patients transferred from an outside institution to the inpatient ward for further care secondary to progression of disease.