Family matters: a quality initiative through the patient's eyes

Understanding the patient's experience of illness and health care requires that health care institutions understand how patients perceive their needs. Furthermore, nurses at the bed-side are at the forefront for impacting the quality of care patients receive. The department of medicine/oncology nursing of an academic medical center examined a report by the American Hospital Association/Picker Institute and integrated its findings into a departmental quality plan. In this article, the dimensions of care described by the American Hospital Association/Picker Institute will be discussed as well as a creative framework for the nurse to address patient needs.