Family conferences as forums for decision making in hospital settings

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Social Work
• Patient-Family Communication
• Clinical Decision Making

Background:

• Hospital social workers frequently participate in family conferences.
• These meetings involve patients, families, and healthcare personnel for information exchange and future care planning.
• Understanding the complexities of these meetings as decision-making arenas is crucial.

Observation:

• The study outlines three phases of family conferences: preparation, the meeting, and follow-up.
• An exploratory review examined recent conferences from the perspective of social workers in an acute and rehabilitation teaching hospital.
• Social workers' perceptions of conference outcomes were analyzed.

Findings:

• Family conferences generally achieve desired outcomes, with notable benefits for hospital staff.
• Conferences primarily serve to inform family members about the patient's condition.
• Collective decision-making regarding future patient care is a key function, often prioritized over patient education about their illness.

Implications:

• Optimizing family conference structures can enhance patient care coordination and family involvement.
• Further research could explore strategies to improve patient-centered information delivery within these conferences.
• Strengthening the role of social workers in facilitating effective communication and decision-making is vital for patient and family support.