Effect of a face sheet tool on medical team provider identification and family satisfaction

Resident duty hour restrictions may expose families to more trainees during hospitalization and hinder recognition of medical team members. This may negatively impact family satisfaction. Our study sought to determine the effects of a face sheet tool on families' identification and satisfaction rating of the medical team. One of 2 general pediatric units at a large academic center was assigned to intervention; the other served as the concurrent control. Families on the intervention unit were given a face sheet tool with medical team members' photos and role descriptions. Upon discharge, caregivers matched names, photos, and roles to providers they encountered, answered a 10-question satisfaction survey, and answered an overall hospital experience satisfaction question. Caregivers encountered a median of 8 (range, 3-14) medical team members. Caregivers in the intervention group were more likely to correctly identify providers by name (median correct, 25% vs 11% for controls; P < 0.01) and provider roles (median correct, 50% vs 25%; P < 0.01). No significant difference was noted between groups for overall satisfaction. A face sheet tool helped caregivers identify their child's care providers' names and roles, although identification remained poor.