Evaluating the Sustained Impact of a Virtual Rounding Queue Software on Family-Centered Rounding

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
• Healthcare technology implementation
• Patient-centered communication

Background:

• Family-centered rounds enhance communication, safety, and satisfaction in healthcare.
• Previous implementation efforts for family-centered rounds have faced challenges.
• A novel virtual rounding software, Q-rounds, showed promise in improving stakeholder participation in a pilot study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the sustainability and adaptability of the Q-rounds virtual rounding software over time.
• To evaluate the impact of Q-rounds on family and nursing engagement in a Level IV NICU.
• To determine if Q-rounds implementation affects the duration of rounding encounters.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post observational study was conducted 2 years after Q-rounds implementation in a Level IV NICU.
• Rounding encounters were observed for both table-rounding and walk-rounding teams.
• Data collected included nurse and family presence, mode of attendance, and rounding duration to assess sustainability and adaptability.

Main Results:

• Family presence remained significantly elevated at 54% at 2 years post-implementation compared to 18% pre-implementation (P < 0.001), largely due to virtual participation.
• Nurse presence for the entire duration of rounds increased substantially to 55% at 2 years from 12% pre-implementation (P < 0.001).
• Rounding duration remained consistent, and while both table-rounding and walk-rounding showed similar family presence, walk-rounding had higher in-person family attendance and nurse presence.

Conclusions:

• Virtual rounding queue software, Q-rounds, is associated with sustained improvements in family and nurse engagement.
• The positive effects on engagement were observed without prolonging rounding times.
• The software demonstrated adaptability and effectiveness in two distinct rounding contexts (table and walk-rounding).