Collaborative Care: Strategic Scheduling of Patient and Family-Centered Rounds

Introduction: Miscommunication among healthcare teams leads to medical errors, increased morbidity and costs, and reduced hospital performance. At a pediatric hospital in the Southwest U.S., patient satisfaction scores for care coordination and communication remain below national benchmarks, underscoring the need for improvement. One crucial factor in team communication is the process of daily rounding. This quality improvement project implemented a schedule-based rounding protocol to enhance communication and improve patient and family satisfaction. Methods: Using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and Goal Attainment Theory, a structured daily rounding schedule was introduced for one hospitalist team on a 49-bed pediatric acute care unit. Participants included attending physicians, residents, and dayshift nurses. Outcome metrics included patient and family satisfaction scores across three phases: pre-intervention, during, and post-intervention. Provider and nursing feedback were assessed through pre- and post-intervention surveys with implied consent. The project was exempt from the internal review board review by the organization and Arizona State University. Results: Average patient/family satisfaction scores before, during, and after the intervention were 68.5, 63.6, and 69.2, respectively. 71% of providers agreed that schedule-based rounds improved team communication. 71% of nurses agreed that the intervention made attending rounds easier and 79% were present during rounds. Conclusion: Implementing a structured rounding protocol enhanced communication and nursing participation in rounds. Future efforts should focus on the sustainability and expansion of the initiative to additional teams within the hospital.