Partnering With a Family Advisor to Improve Communication in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient-Family Communication
• Pediatric Intensive Care

Background:

• Inconsistent communication between clinical teams and families in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) can result in medical errors and diminished care quality.
• Establishing reliable communication channels is essential for patient safety and family-centered care in critical care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify root causes for inconsistent communication between clinical teams and families in a PICU.
• To implement and evaluate system improvements aimed at enhancing communication consistency and quality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Lean Six Sigma methodology for a quality improvement project.
• Employed a multidisciplinary improvement team that included a family advisor.
• Collected data through direct observation, documented communication records, surveys, interviews, and focus groups with families and staff.

Main Results:

• Identified key failure root causes: lack of assigned responsibility, undefined daily updates, and absence of a communication standard.
• Implemented process changes leading to a significant increase in the mean documented communication rate from 13% to 65%.
• Sustained improvement in communication rates for over two years (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• A structured approach using Lean Six Sigma can effectively address communication deficits in PICUs.
• Integrating family advisors as equal team members enhances patient-family engagement and improves the success of quality improvement initiatives.
• Standardizing daily updates and assigning clear responsibilities are critical for consistent, high-quality communication in pediatric critical care.