Hearts over charts: Understanding what matters most in the geriatric population

Health care systems must adapt to deliver care that is both evidence-based and highly personalized to meet the individual needs of the growing population of older adults. This quality improvement initiative focused on enhancing patient-centered care by integrating the "What Matters Most" (WMM) question of the Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative's 4Ms framework into the nursing workflows and the electronic health record (EHR). Patients/families were asked to identify their personal goals and needs at the start of each nursing shift. The project aimed to strengthen communication, improve patient satisfaction, and ensure that care aligns with individual needs. Following implementation, the unit's patient experience scores increased, particularly in nurses' attention to patients' personal needs, demonstrating that prioritizing what matters most to older adults leads to more meaningful care and improved outcomes.