Medical Team Communication on Family-Centered Rounds and Caregiver Outcomes

Family-centered rounds (FCR) offer opportunities to partner with families but can be inequitable with variable outcomes. Defining teachable communication practices associated with optimal FCR may improve family experience and engagement.

To evaluate associations between clinician-team communication during FCR and caregiver outcomes in a racially and ethnically diverse population.

We audio recorded and transcribed FCR. We double coded clinician-communication behaviors, assigned global communication ratings, and counted caregiver participatory behaviors (participation). Caregivers completed postrounds surveys, assessing comfort on rounds and understanding (correctly naming admission diagnosis). We assessed associations between clinician communication and caregiver participation using negative binomial regression. We assessed associations between clinician communication and caregiver-reported comfort and understanding using logistic regression. We adjusted for caregiver age, education, race, and ethnicity.

Sixty-one caregivers participated (20 white, 20 Black, 19 Latino(a/x), 2 multiracial). Caregiver participation was higher when clinicians used reflection (active listening) (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.95) or supportive talk (IRR, 1.55) or had higher concern ratings (IRR, 1.58). Greater caregiver comfort was associated with clinician reflection (odds ratio [OR], 5.31), information exchange (OR, 4.15), higher ratings of clinician flow (OR, 4.16), respect (OR, 6.25), and partnership (OR, 7.08). Caregiver understanding was higher with more clinician partnership-building (OR, 4.74), higher warmth (OR, 7.50), or partnership ratings (OR, 3.91). All P values were less than .05.

Several clinician-communication practices were significantly associated with caregiver outcomes. Significant clinician ratings and behaviors clustered into 2 domains: collaborative communication and emotional connection. Many clinician behaviors occurred rarely, highlighting possible time-efficient targets to improve family experience and engagement.