Strategies for Enhancing Patient and Family Engagement in Healthcare

This expository essay examines the critical role of patient and family engagement in enhancing the quality of care within healthcare settings. The essay analyzes the article "Engaging patients and families in communication across transitions of care: an integrative review protocol" by Tracey K. Bucknall et al., focusing on strategies to promote patient and family involvement during care transitions. The discussion emphasizes the importance of effective communication, shared decision-making, and the establishment of strong patient-provider relationships to improve patient outcomes, prevent adverse events, and foster patient-centered care. The essay highlights various strategies for promoting patient engagement, including encouraging patient and family participation in decision-making, improving communication from the point of admission, and involving them in discharge planning. The conclusion reinforces the significance of patient and family engagement in ensuring patient safety, improving care quality, and minimizing potential negative outcomes during care transitions. The essay draws on multiple sources to support its arguments and provide a comprehensive overview of this crucial aspect of healthcare.

EXPOSITORY ESSAY

EXPOSITORY ESSAY
Engagement of patients and family members in treatment practices helps in enhancing the
quality of ultimate deliverables provided in a health care setting. An analysis to the article
“Engaging patients and families in communication across transitions of care: an integrative
review protocol”, written by Tracey K. Bucknall and other writers, is prepared so as to
understand the deep-rooted problem in well-defined manner (Bucknall and et.al., 2016). The
essay will make a comprehensive discussion regarding strategies that can be adopted to promote
engagement of patient and family members during transitions of care.
The aim of article titled “Engaging patients and families in communication across transitions
of care: an integrative review protocol”, written by Tracey K. Bucknall and various other writers,
is to give appropriate discussion points regarding integrative review protocol so as to indulge in
analyzing and synthesizing peer reviewed research evidence with respect to engagement of
patients and their families in communication during transition of care to, in and from acute care
setting (Bucknall and et.al., 2016). The article discusses regarding importance of communication
during transition care setting which is generally conducted so as to bring the patient in normal
state and better services of health can be provided in this manner. A high degree of involvement
of families and patient during communication process helps in giving holistic idea regarding the
condition of the patient. Adequate transfer of clinical information helps in enhancing the
outcome of the patient and plays an important role in preventing adverse events that can place
during hospitalization and after discharge as well. In the patient centered care generally adopted
by health care centres and professionals in it (Fleurence and et.al., 2013).
The article has been involved in evaluating and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative
research evidence which are identified with the help of systematic search. Inclusion criteria has
been used so as to find out relevant primary studies. The search criteria are restricted up to 10
years ending up to December 2013. The article is helpful in understanding key strategies that can
be adopted by the health care setting so as to improve the involvement of patient for clinical
communication so as to promote patient centred care.
The article stated that patient is called as engaged, if he / she is wholly involved in decision
making aspect of self-care. It is inclusive of patient’ involvement in monitoring the progress and
assess its effects and also provide suggestions for the same so that improved care can be
provided to him. There are four attributes that have been identified so that communication and
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relationship between patient and health care provider can be enhanced (Dempsey, Reilly and
Buhlman, 2014). The attributes are, maintain an established relationship, surrendering certain
control and power hold by nurse, sharing information and knowledge and active engagement of
nurse and patient intellectual and physical activity. The degree of willingness of patients to
participate in a particular activity have high dependence on condition and difference in their
expectations from their side. It helps in improving quality of care that is ultimately extended to
the patients in the patient centred care.
Transition between the setting and clinical aspects of delivering services leads to bring
ineffective changes in the quality and safety care of patient. It can seriously compromise with the
overall deliverable aspect in terms of quality of services to the ultimate service users. The
common mistake that is made by the clinicians during transition is related to medication error.
Medication management in acute care setting is possible if effective clinical communication is
maintained by the healthcare professions with the patient and his / her family members.
Partnering with patient also improve overall health and safety of the patient as well. It helps in
reducing and preventing adverse events that can take place during hospitalization. There are
various policies that are already present in the law that helps in inculcating this communication
habits in health care professionals. Importance of this aspect have widely been discussed in
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) 2011) and in other
international safety policy of the patients as well (Carman and et.al., 2013).
The integrative review conducted by the present researcher states regarding communication
and engagement aspect for patient centred care, will further help in identification in the gap
which can be noticed in delivering the ultimate services. Moreover, a strong role is played by this
article in raising the awareness regrading patient’s engagement in transition care services so that
best quality services can be delivered in the end (Solomon, Gusmano and Maschke, 2016).
There are various strategies that can be adopted by a health care set up in enhancing
communication between patient and carer. Patients and family members can be encouraged in
participating like an advisor. It helps in understanding their will and expectations from a health
care setting. A better communication can be promoted right from the point of admission between
patient, family and healthcare professionals. In order to promote safety and also implement it as
a long term aspect, it is important for the keep the family and patient informed regarding shift
change of nurses at the bedside, reports of the disease and other medications as well. Another
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method is engaging them in discharge planning during their stay in the hospital (Heyworth and
et.al., 2013).
Researcher s have stated that engagement of the patient is multi-dimensional which can be
in the form of personal event or in professional manner. Engagement plays an important role
when the patient is suffering from any chronic disease and require self care as well. It can
generally begin with simple sharing of the information and then clinical aspect of disease and
treatment can also be shared so as to generate interest of patient and family members in
engagement and self-caring (Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and
Safety, 2017).
From the above knowledge base, it can be concluded that in order to implement enhanced
patient care, it becomes important to keep the patients and their family member engaged. It hips
in keeping the qualities of ultimate deliverables intact. Moreover, an important role in played by
engagement in ensuring safety of the patient and eliminate any kind of adverse events that can
take place during non-communicative transition practices.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bucknall, T. K. and et.al., 2016. Engaging patients and families in communication across
transitions of care: an integrative review protocol. Journal of advanced nursing. 72(7).
pp.1689-1700.
Carman, K. L. and et.al., 2013. Patient and family engagement: a framework for understanding
the elements and developing interventions and policies. Health Affairs. 32(2). pp.223-
231.
Dempsey, C., Reilly, B. and Buhlman, N., 2014. Improving the patient experience: real-world
strategies for engaging nurses. Journal of Nursing Administration. 44(3). pp.142-151.
Fleurence, R. and et.al., 2013. How the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is
engaging patients and others in shaping its research agenda. Health Affairs. 32(2).
pp.393-400.
Heyworth, L. and et.al., 2013. Engaging patients in medication reconciliation via a patient portal
following hospital discharge. Journal of the American Medical Informatics
Association. 21(e1). pp.e157-e162.
Solomon, M. Z., Gusmano, M. K. and Maschke, K. J., 2016. The ethical imperative and moral
challenges of engaging patients and the public with evidence. Health Affairs. 35(4).
pp.583-589.
Online
Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety. 2017. [Online].
Available through <
https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/engagingfamilies/index.html >
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