Page 20 - UHN Year In Review 2014-15: Patients As Partners In Care

Peter Munk Cardiac Centre

Family-centred rounds a ‘culture shift’

Family-centred rounds, an initiative introduced in the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre Coronary Intensive Care Unit in 2014, enhances
communication among patients, their families and the multi-disciplinary medical team involved in their care. Family members of
patients are invited to participate in medical briefings that occur daily involving their loved one. (Photo: Peter Power)

Introduced in the Coronary Intensive one, receive more detailed medical Through this approach, families also
Care Unit in 2014 as a pilot project information and have face-time with have the option to convey medical in-
to further enhance communication, the doctors, nurses, and specialists formation directly to the patient and
the “family-centred rounds” initiative responsible for their loved one’s care. other relatives in their native tongue.
provides family members of critically
ill cardiac patients the opportunity to These medical briefings also permit The initiative represents a “culture
join the medical team on twice-daily families to ask questions, gain shift” for the nurses and physicians
rounds. The intent is to help relatives a level of comfort, trust and a in the CICU. “It has been a resound-
better understand the prognosis and realistic understanding of how their ing success,” says Dr. Christopher
treatment protocol of their loved loved one’s condition is being Overgaard, Medical Director, CICU. “
handled by healthcare staff.

20 Patients as Partners in Care