Family-Centered Rounds Checklist Implementation

Engaging Families in Bedside Rounds to Promote Pediatric Patient Safety

The goal of this study is to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to facilitate family engagement during bedside rounds at a children's hospital. The intervention consists of a "checklist" of key behaviors associated with the delivery of quality family-centered rounds, as well as training in the use of the checklist tool. In a pre-post controlled design, two hospital services will be randomized to use the checklist while two others will be randomized to usual care. The intervention is expected to increase to the performance of key checklist behaviors, family engagement, and family perceptions of patient safety.

Family engagement in children's healthcare encounters has been suggested as a means to improve safety. To engage families in care, the recommended practice is to conduct rounds at the child's bedside with the family present (family-centered rounds). Family-centered rounds strive to engage families in (1) a relationship with care providers, (2) exchange of information for decision making, and (3) deliberation about decisions. Bedside rounds represent a consistent venue to engage families in the care of hospitalized children, yet no studies have systematically identified and examined the barriers and facilitators of family engagement during rounds as a means to improve safety.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Admitted as an inpatient on the pediatric hospitalist service, pulmonary service, or hematology/oncology service, during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Stigmatizing/sensitive reason for hospitalization (e.g., suspected non-accidental trauma or mental health concerns)
• New cancer diagnosis
• Parent(s) unable to speak or read English
• Parent(s) unavailable to consent (absent or sleeping during recruitment visits)
• Already participated in the study during a prior inpatient admission