Background: As medical complexity of pediatric patients rises, inpatient family care conferences (FCCs) are increasingly utilized to discuss treatment decisions and goals of care with families and multiple care team members. Studies have shown that emotional connections with providers at a FCC increase family satisfaction with these conferences. Proposals for structuring FCCs suggest involvement of [...]

Background: Literature regarding resident education in transitions of care is limited, particularly in geriatric populations. The University of Colorado performed a pilot of a virtual multidisciplinary conference call between providers on the geriatric inpatient unit of the University of Colorado Hospital and its Seniors Clinic. Residents rotating on the Acute Care of the Elder (ACE) [...]

Background: Morbidity and Mortality Conference (MMC) has been recognized as a valuable educational resource in training programs to improve patient safety. Traditional MMCs are often poorly defined in terms of format, goals, and outcomes, leading to ineffective reflection, discussion and action. Increasing evidence suggests that a structured and transparent approach to MMCs results in measurable [...]

Background: The traditional Morbidity and Mortality Conference (MMC) is known for its punitive aspects. Some programs have met the ACGME Internal Medicine (IM) requirement for MMC or Quality Improvement (QI) conferences by focusing on general principles of patient safety. We describe the impact of a QI-based MMC on resident perceptions of psychological safety and the [...]

Background: Communication between home health care agencies and referring facilities is important for comprehensive care for patients. Yet, both home health care providers and hospitalists feel that this communication is frequently lacking. Purpose: To implement weekly teleconferences to discuss patients recently discharged from the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMR VAMC) who are initiating [...]

Background: Poor noon conference attendance is a universal problem across residency programs, particularly for inpatient rotations. Residents commonly face the decision to either attend a conference or continue their work on busy services. Food incentives, mandatory attendance standards, or implementation of consequences for absences are largely ineffective. Conversely, a study suggests that lecture topics and [...]