Improving patients' ability to identify their physicians through the use of physician facecards and whiteboards.
communication
facecard
quality improvement
whiteboard
Journal
BMJ open quality
ISSN: 2399-6641
Titre abrégé: BMJ Open Qual
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101710381
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2019
2019
Historique:
received:
16
12
2018
revised:
03
04
2019
accepted:
13
04
2019
entrez:
18
6
2019
pubmed:
18
6
2019
medline:
18
6
2019
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Hospitalised patients are often not able to correctly identify members of their physician team. Identifying physicians is a critical component of developing the patient-physician relationship and visual aids have been shown to improve physician identification and overall patient satisfaction. The aim of this quality improvement study was to assess the impact of implementation of a physician facecard on the ability of patients to identify their attending physician and other members of the physician team, as well as to evaluate current use of patient whiteboards for physician team identification. We prospectively studied 149 patients admitted to the medicine teaching service, who were randomised to receive a physician facecard or usual care. Patients were surveyed to determine their ability to identify physician team members. Observational data was also collected regarding use of patient whiteboards. Additionally, all hospitalists were surveyed to assess their perception of these visual aids. Patients who received the facecard were more likely to recall the name of the attending physician as compared with the control group (63% vs 32%, p<0.01). Additionally, 68% of patients with the attending name correctly listed on their whiteboard were able to correctly identify the attending physician (p<0.01). Ninety per cent of patients who both received a facecard and had their whiteboard correctly filled out were able to identify the attending physician. Eighty per cent of hospitalists surveyed agreed that use of the facecard added value and 90% disagreed that routine use of the facecard was burdensome. The use of physician facecards improves the ability of hospitalised patients to identify their attending physicians, and the combined use of facecards and whiteboards may provide additive benefits.
Sections du résumé
Background
Hospitalised patients are often not able to correctly identify members of their physician team. Identifying physicians is a critical component of developing the patient-physician relationship and visual aids have been shown to improve physician identification and overall patient satisfaction.
Objectives
The aim of this quality improvement study was to assess the impact of implementation of a physician facecard on the ability of patients to identify their attending physician and other members of the physician team, as well as to evaluate current use of patient whiteboards for physician team identification.
Methods
We prospectively studied 149 patients admitted to the medicine teaching service, who were randomised to receive a physician facecard or usual care. Patients were surveyed to determine their ability to identify physician team members. Observational data was also collected regarding use of patient whiteboards. Additionally, all hospitalists were surveyed to assess their perception of these visual aids.
Results
Patients who received the facecard were more likely to recall the name of the attending physician as compared with the control group (63% vs 32%, p<0.01). Additionally, 68% of patients with the attending name correctly listed on their whiteboard were able to correctly identify the attending physician (p<0.01). Ninety per cent of patients who both received a facecard and had their whiteboard correctly filled out were able to identify the attending physician. Eighty per cent of hospitalists surveyed agreed that use of the facecard added value and 90% disagreed that routine use of the facecard was burdensome.
Conclusion
The use of physician facecards improves the ability of hospitalised patients to identify their attending physicians, and the combined use of facecards and whiteboards may provide additive benefits.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31206066
doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2018-000606
pii: bmjoq-2018-000606
pmc: PMC6542432
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
e000606Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Competing interests: None declared.
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