Eliminating visiting hour restrictions in hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience
• Hospital Operations

Background:

• Traditional hospital visiting hours often restrict patient access to family and support systems.
• Renewed focus on patient satisfaction and family engagement necessitates re-evaluation of visitation policies.
• Liberal visitation can reduce patient anxiety and positively impact patient and family well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 24-hour open visitation policy on patient satisfaction and hospital operations.
• To assess the feasibility and safety of liberal visitation practices in an acute care and rehabilitation setting.

Main Methods:

• A 24-hour visitation policy was implemented at Morristown Medical Center, involving input from various hospital departments.
• Patient satisfaction scores were compared before and after the policy change using statistical analysis (chi-square test).
• Data on visitor numbers, complaints, and security incidents were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Over 14,000 after-hours visitors were recorded in 8 months with no increase in complaints or security events.
• Patient satisfaction scores significantly improved on both commercial and government surveys (HCAHPS).
• Hospital staff reported fewer update calls and a positive experience with the open visitation policy.

Conclusions:

• Open visitation can be successfully implemented in acute and long-term care facilities with minimal disruption.
• The policy is well-utilized by visitors and leads to an improved patient and family experience.
• Hospital staff generally accept and benefit from liberal visitation practices.