Patient-Centered Structured Interdisciplinary Bedside Rounds in the Medical ICU

Area of Science:

• Medical ICU care
• Healthcare delivery systems
• Clinical process improvement

Background:

• Inefficiencies in traditional medical intensive care unit (MICU) rounds can impact provider satisfaction and patient care.
• Structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds aim to optimize communication and efficiency during patient care discussions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of patient-centered structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds on rounding efficiency, provider satisfaction, and patient/family satisfaction in a medical ICU.
• To compare outcomes between structured and non-structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, non-randomized study conducted in a tertiary care academic medical center's MICU.
• Comparison of patient-centered structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds with non-structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds.
• Data collection included rounding times, provider/patient/family satisfaction surveys, and observation of communication and teaching during rounds.

Main Results:

• Structured rounds were associated with significantly shorter total rounding and interruption times.
• Healthcare providers reported improved communication, increased team input, and clearer task assignments with structured rounds.
• Family member presence during rounds increased significantly (31.1% vs 10.1%) with structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds.
• Attending physicians provided more teaching points during structured rounds (51.2% vs 33.9%).
• No significant differences in patient or family satisfaction were observed between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• Patient-centered structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds enhance rounding efficiency and provider satisfaction.
• Structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds facilitate consistent teaching opportunities.
• The implementation of structured rounds does not negatively impact patient or family satisfaction.