Guide to Patient & Family Engagement

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Working With Patient and Family Advisors:

Recruiting, Training, and Partnering
Julie Barnes Patient and Family Centered Care Manager Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center September 4, 2013

Todays session
What is patient and family engagement? Who are patient and family advisors? What do they do? What are the benefits of working with patient and family advisors? How do you recruit advisors? What training is needed for advisors and staff? How do we really partner with advisors?

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

What is patient and family engagement?

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

What is patient and family engagement?

Patient and family engagement: Creates an environment where patients, families, clinicians, and hospital staff all work together as partners to improve the quality and safety of hospital care Involves patients and family members as
Members of the health care team Advisors working with clinicians and leaders to improve policies and procedures

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

Why patient and family engagement?

The goal is to bring the perspectives of patients and families directly into the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care. Patients and families are essential allies for quality and safety!

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

Patient- and family-centered care

Patient and family engagement is an important part of providing patient- and family-centered care Core concepts of patient- and family-centered care:
Dignity and respect Information sharing Involvement/Participation Collaboration

Strategy 1: Working with Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

Patient and Family Advisors

Who are they? What do they do? Why do they get involved?

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

Advisors: Who they are

Advisors are collaborative partners in developing and revising hospital policies, procedures, and practices
Patients and family members who received care at this hospital and want to help improve care experiences for others Rigorous application and screening process Training provided

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

Advisors: What they do

Help us improve the quality and safety of the care we provide
Give input and feedback Identify potential changes and improvements Plan and implement changes that matter to patients and families

Strategy 1: Working With Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

Advisors: Why they get involved

The issue is important They have something to contribute They will be listened to and respected Their participation will make a difference

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Benefits of working with patient and family advisors

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Benefits of working with advisors

Patient and family advisors:
Offer insights about what we do well and areas where changes may be needed Help us develop priorities and make improvements based on patient- and family- identified needs Help us come up with new ideas and solutions

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Benefits of working with advisors (contd)

Long-term benefits:
Improved quality and safety Better health outcomes for patients Better business outcomes for the hospital Better experiences of care for patients, family members, clinicians, and staff

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Opportunities to work with advisors iOpportuitg with advisors

There are several ways of working with advisors:
Patients and families as advisors on short-term projects, such as developing educational materials, policies, etc. Patients and families as advisory council members Patient and family advisors as members of hospital quality and safety committees

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Working with patient and family advisors:

Recruiting

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First steps
Identify a staff liaison - passion for patient and family centered care - willingness to learn and educate - sees strengths in all situations and builds open them - well respected by patients, families, peers, leaders Liaison duties: - contact potential advisors - train advisors - prepare staff committee members - cultivate opportunities to embed advisors

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How to recruit patient and family advisors

Identify prospective patient and family advisors
Think about patients or family members who: Share insights and experiences in productive ways Listen well and speak comfortably Express an interest in improving health care for others Represent unit/hospital population

Consideration
How long has it been since they received care? Will there be a time commitment? 1-2 years? Number of advisors needed for each committee?

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How to recruit patient and family advisors

Ask clinicians and staff for names of potential advisors Review letters and satisfaction surveys Ask patient representatives, chaplains, social workers Advertise at support groups or patient meetings Advertise on website Distribute recruitment materials
Brochure Personal invitation or postcard

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How to recruit patient and family advisors

Selection process
Application Identify interests Describe care experiences Why do you want to get involved? Interview At least 2 participants Experienced advisors may interview Acceptance/Rejection letter

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Working with patient and family advisors:

Training

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Training patient and family advisors

Training topics
Hospital/facility overview (mission, vision, values) Confidentiality Meeting etiquette Purpose of committee Expectations (how many meetings/year, etc) Committee details (who, what, when, where)

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Training patient and family advisors

Who will complete the training?
Staff liaison Volunteer services

Requirements?
Background check Immunizations/TB skin test

Other considerations
Stipend Parking Childcare

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Sample training schedule

Volunteer orientation
2 hours Hospital overview Confidentiality Customer service Volunteer benefits 45 mins 1 hour How to be an effective advisor Meeting etiquette Advisor benefits 45 mins to one hour Purpose and charge of committee Committee membership Logistics Review of last meeting minutes

Advisor orientation with PFCC manager

Committee orientation with committee chair

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Training staff to work with advisors

Training topics
Tips for working with advisors Use of jargon Confronting your own feelings about working with advisors Advisor information Assign a buddy for the advisor

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Helpful hints for integrating advisors

If the committee is established, provide committee member training one meeting before the advisor joins. Debrief with advisor for first few meetings. Include committee chair and staff liaison.

Provide staff opportunity to debrief after first few meetings.

Strategy 1: Working with Patient and Family Advisors Training (Tool 11)

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Working with patient and family advisors:

Building partnerships

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Working with patient and family advisors

Patients and family members as:
Essential members of the health care team Collaborative partners in hospital policies, procedures, and practices

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Principles for effective partnerships (Part 1)

Practice exercise: Patient and family engagement or not?

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Scenario 1
Three patient and family advisors are invited to join a patient safety team that is beginning an initiative to improve medication reconciliation

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Scenario 2
An administrator invites patients and families to comment on the final plans for the facilitys upcoming renovation

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Scenario 3
A multidisciplinary committee develops new educational materials about diabetes management and treatment for patients and their families

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Scenario 4
A surgeon asks family members who experienced a complicated surgical procedure with their adult son to join the surgical residents noon conference to discuss what communication from physicians was helpful and what was not

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Principles for effective partnership (Part 2)

Define a clear role for advisor participation
Provide opportunities to contribute where advisors can make a tangible difference

Give information about the purpose, goals, and intended outcomes of the effort Clearly define expectations, including timelines, deadlines, and responsibilities

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Principles for effective partnership

Designate a staff member or key contact for working with patient and family advisors Provide background information on the project
Avoid acronyms and jargon whenever possible

Invite participation Listen with an open mind

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Potential barriers to partnership

System barriers
Lack of provider champion Lack of consistency Goal not clearly defined Specific tasks for patients and families not clearly defined Insufficient funding

Mental barriers
Lack of time Patients and families just wont understand Lack of transparency

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Overcoming barriers
Thoughtful planning Attitude checklist Education Experience working with patient and family advisors Time

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Sample Tools

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Tips for working with advisors/partners

Advisors offer a unique and important perspective to help us see care and processes from a different vantage point. We must recognize that patients and family members are the experts in their own experience. Advisors are full members of the committee. Ask for the opinions of patient and family advisors during discussions, encouraging their participation and validating their role as committee members. Avoid using jargon. Explain technical terms when used. Recognize there will be tensions and differing opinions and perceptions. To avoid becoming stuck in the emotion of an advisors negative experience, acknowledge the experience and ask if there was anything supportive, helpful, or positive for the group to learn from the situation. Ask for ideas and suggestions to improve the situation. If a personal story becomes too long, suggest that some policy implications can be learned from the story and that there may be other more appropriate forums to share this story. Remember, we need the patient and family advisors as much, if not more, than they need us!

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Tips for being an advisor/partner

Believe that your investment in your own health experiences or your family members will help you in making a difference for others. Get involved in more than one issue or agenda item. Practice active listening and listen with empathy. Avoid assumptions. Dont judge someone based on appearance, diagnosis, profession, etc. Respect the perspectives and experiences of others. Interact positively with many different kinds of people culture brings its own perspective! Speak comfortably and candidly in the group. Work in partnerships with others. Learn negotiation skills.

Share insights and information about experiences in ways that others can learn from them.
See beyond your own personal experience. Remember we are all in this together.

Expect the best!

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Biosketch example
Insert photo here

Name, Contact info

Personal information

Work/educational background
Hobbies/Interests

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Resources
AHRQ http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/engagingfamilies/index.html Orientation Manual Training templates Advisor applications Letters of acceptance/rejection Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care http://www.ipfcc.org/ Tips for recruiting advisors Staff training exercises Links to other institutions Many tools for advancing PFCC

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Collaboration means that no one interest group is always right. It means taking what you think and what I think, and what someone else thinks, and coming up with something that works for everyone.
Bev Crider From: Essential Allies, Families as Advisors