A New Innovations Exchange Learning Community | AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange ► AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange Focuses on Advancing Patient- and Family-Centered Care in Hospitals

A New Innovations Exchange Learning Community | AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange

AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange Focuses on Advancing Patient- and Family-Centered Care in Hospitals

AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange is focusing on its new Patient- and Family-Centered Care Learning Community, featuring profiles related to advancing the practice of patient- and family-centered care in hospital settings. One profile describes a patient advisory program at Georgia Regents Medical Center in Augusta in which current and former patients and family members participate in a variety of patient advisory councils and on every clinic, department and hospital committee, providing their perspectives on potential improvements and their input into key operational and strategic decisions. The program has contributed to improvements in patient satisfaction and in key metrics of organization-wide performance and has received positive reviews from medical students. The Innovations Exchange is expanding efforts to scale up and spread innovations by sponsoring three learning communities to improve care delivery. The aim of the Patient- and Family-Centered Care Learning Community is to help participating hospitals implement strategies from the Innovations Exchange to advance the practice of patient- and family-centered care within their own organizational culture and context.

A New Innovations Exchange Learning Community

The AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange has identified the delivery of patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) in hospitals as a high-priority area.

As defined by the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care(link is external), “patient- and family-centered care is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among health care providers, patients, and families. It redefines the relationships in health care by placing an emphasis on collaborating with people of all ages, at all levels of care, and in all health care settings. This collaboration assures that health care is responsive to an individual’s priorities, preferences, and values. In patient- and family-centered care, patients and families define their ‘family’ and determine how they will participate in care and decision-making.”

Participants in the Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) Learning Community will work interactively together to adopt and implement select innovations from the Innovations Exchange. All participating hospitals will develop a patient and family advisor program, or enhance their existing advisor programs; in addition, they will adopt one or more strategies from the innovation profiles listed below based on their specific needs and unique contexts. Participants will also receive technical assistance and support from nationally recognized experts to help them implement these innovative strategies.

Learning Community Aims

Aim #1: Engage stakeholders using an evidence-based patient- and family-centered framework that targets a) leadership, b) patient and family partnerships, c) staff engagement, and d) performance improvement.

Aim #2: Assist hospitals in tailoring and implementing strategies from the Innovations Exchange to advance the practice of PFCC within their own organizational culture and context.

Aim #3: Achieve and document improvement in process and outcome measures tailored to the specific strategies/interventions.

To meet these aims, the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange is working with the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC) and the Florida Hospital Association (FHA). The membership of the PFCC Learning Community includes a select group of eleven Florida-area hospitals.

We will periodically provide updates on this page related to the development and progress of the Learning Community. This information may include early results and promising practices, in addition to case studies, issue briefs, and videos that capture key findings and lessons learned.

Featured Innovations

Patient Advisors Participate in Hospital Councils, Committees, Staff Training, and Other Activities, Contributing to Improved Patient Satisfaction and Better Organizational Performance

Patient- and Family-Centered Care Initiative Is Associated With High Patient Satisfaction and Positive Outcomes for Total Joint Replacement Patients

Organization-Wide Adoption of Patient- and Family-Centered Care Leads to Consistently High Levels of Patient Satisfaction

Patient Notepad Improves Communication With Physicians, Including Likelihood of Having Questions Answered

Cardiac Unit Features Acuity-Adjustable Rooms and Other Patient-Centered Programs, Leading to Well-Above Average Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction

Inclusive Policies, Communication Protocols and Ongoing Training Lead to Culturally Competent Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Patients

Featured QualityTools

Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety

Patient-Centered Care Improvement Guide

Recommendations and Promising Practices for Designing a Patient and Family-Centered Health Care System

Tips for Group Leaders and Facilitators on Involving Patients and Families on Committees and Task Forces

Featured Events

Patient- and Family-Centered Care for Adults with Chronic Conditions

Patient- and Family-Centered Care: Approaches for Children and Seniors

Featured Videos

Frontline Innovators on Providing Patient- and Family-Centered Care Bernard Roberson, MSM, BA, HSC

Frontline Innovators on Providing Patient- and Family-Centered Care Michelle Rickerby, MD Diane DerMarderosian, MD

Frontline Innovators on Providing Patient- and Family-Centered Care Judith Rogers, PhD, MSN, RN