Patient and Family Perspective to be Featured at Grand Rounds

Stan Ashley, MD, and Jackie Somerville, PhD, RN.

You may see some different faces at your department or division's grand rounds this year.

As part of BWH's commitment to patient and family centered care, at least one grand rounds presentation for each division and department will be delivered by a patient or family member who provides their perspective on their care at BWH.  

This new initiative was led by Maureen Fagan, DNP-MHA, executive director of the Center for Patients and Families, in partnership with Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Jackie Somerville, PhD, RN, and Chief Medical Officer Stan Ashley, MD.

"The voices of patients and their family members are critical to our mission," said Somerville.

Departments and divisions are working with Fagan to plan the presentations. Each presentation will be specific to its audience, offering care providers and administrators an opportunity to see how patients view their experience with that department or division.

 "As care providers, we all can lose sight of the patient's perspective because we're so busy in doing all of the things we need to do to care for their medical needs," said Chief Medical Officer Stan Ashley, MD. "To have their participation and their perspective front and center at rounds can be eye-opening."

Patients and families are increasingly partnering with BWH to help improve care for future patients by sharing reflections on their own experiences. Currently, 14 areas in the hospital have at least one patient or family member working side-by-side with staff in various capacities, including through advisory councils. Through this partnership, they are helping to improve the patient and family experience and carry out BWH's philosophy of providing the highest quality patient- and family-centered care.

"Their input into new facilities, programs and policies offers a richness that only they can bring," Somerville said. "And this is only going to increase going forward - with population management, it will be even more imperative than it already is to involve them."

Ashley noted that the patient perspective has already played a significant role in the Partners' Care Redesign team focused on colon cancer. "One of the things we focused on is ensuring that we understand what it's like to be a patient coming to the hospital for treatment of colon cancer," he said. "We've put together some information so that we can talk with them up front about some of their concerns and help them understand what to expect when they undergo a procedure and receive care."

Departments and units interested in working with a patient in an advisory role should seek a patient who wants to help things improve. "Patients and family members who are willing to think about how to improve a process and give us their advice can really strengthen our work," Somerville said.

Contact Maureen Fagan in the Center for Patients and Families at mfagan@partners.org for more information on partnering with patients and families.