Background: Family centered rounds (FCR) are used in pediatric hospital settings as a multidisciplinary method to communicate with families and involve them in medical decisions. This study is intended to evaluate how medical providers and families perceive family centered rounds and their effectiveness in providing care to patients.
Methods: Participants include patient families, medical residents, and nurses who provide or receive care on general pediatrics floors at a tertiary care pediatric teaching hospital. Each participant was asked to complete an 8 question survey that addressed communication, inclusivity, and effectiveness of FCR. Additionally, families were asked about the planned length of stay for their child as well as the number of prior hospitalizations they have had in the past.
Results: Over 4 weeks, 69 participants completed the survey (36 medical residents, 12 nurses, and 21 patient families). Overall, all participants agreed that their contributions during FCR are included and respected, and questions and concerns are addressed. In contrast to families and nursing, medical residents feel that FCR are not a good time to communicate with the team (58% disagree vs. 8% for nurses and 0% for families) and that the medical team does not spend the right amount of time with families (39% disagree vs. 8% for nurses and 0% for families).
Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that compared to families and nursing staff, medical residents are the least satisfied with communication and timing of FCR. More research is needed that addresses medical resident satisfaction with FCR.