communication Multidisciplinary leadership and commitment to engaging Staff use a number of tools that are part patients in transition of the TeamSTEPPS approach, including: communications is key the mnemonic (Introduction, Situation, One large Australian hospital has taken active steps Background, Assessment, Recommendations) for handovers, which incorporate steps to engage the to engage patients in communication at transitions of care. The hospital has demonstrated leadership patient, and their family or carer, in communications and commitment to person-centred care at an organisational, service and individual staff level. formal discharge planning processes that keep Leaders in this service articulate their goals as being patients of their expected date of discharge to: structured multidisciplinary team develop trust-based discussion and handovers that every day at a set collaboration to achieve continuity of time care checklists and protocols to ensure pause long enough to give patients communication and patient information is the opportunity to enter discussions provided for create spaces for patients to all care transitions. Often these involve get into the conversation. prompts to involve patients and families. The hospital has unit-level multidisciplinary collaborative practice teams, designed to ensure One of the major challenges faced by this inclusiveness hospital was maintaining a culture of of staff, patients and families and consistency person- centred care, which was affected of how and what information is communicated. by: dealing with the time pressures of high workloads STRATEGY bed block and lack of space the need to integrate goals (especially for those who may be only intermittently employed in Multidisciplinary collaborative practice the unit) teams are formal groups that include doctors, accommodating numerous, often nurses, allied health professionals and a rapid patient transitions across patient advocate. The group reviews services. processes, identifies areas for improvement and can There was also the challenge of encouraging assist in maintaining a patient centred focus. participation among patients and families with cultural and linguistic diversity, Aboriginal and Implement standardised Torres Strait Islander patients, children, and those with mental health issues or who were distressed. strategies and tools to support effective Engaged and supported nurses who are good communication; listeners can act as enablers of person-centred care by including patients in conversations about pain recognising the barriers to, relief, access and potential enablers of, to care, comfort, nutrition, and social support.
Multidisciplinary leadership and commitment to engaging patients in transition communications is key One large Australian hospital has taken active steps to engage patients in communication at transitions of care. The hospital has demonstrated leadership and commitment to person-centred care at an organisational, service and individual staff level. Leaders in this service articulate their goals as being to: develop trust-based discussion and collaboration to achieve continuity of care pause long enough to give patients the opportunity to enter discussions create spaces for patients to get into the conversation. The hospital has unit-level multidisciplinary collaborative practice teams, designed to ensure inclusiveness of staff, patients and families and consistency of how and what information is communicated. STRATEGY Multidisciplinary collaborative practice teams are formal groups that include doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and a patient advocate. The group reviews processes, identifies areas for improvement and can assist in maintaining a patient centred focus. Implement standardised strategies and tools to support effective communication; recognising the barriers to, and potential enablers of, communication Staff use a number of tools that are part of the TeamSTEPPS approach, including: the mnemonic (Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations) for handovers, which incorporate steps to engage the patient, and their family or carer, in communications formal discharge planning processes that keep patients of their expected date of discharge structured multidisciplinary team handovers that every day at a set time checklists and protocols to ensure communication and patient information is provided for all care transitions. Often these involve prompts to involve patients and families. One of the major challenges faced by this hospital was maintaining a culture of person- centred care, which was affected by: dealing with the time pressures of high workloads bed block and lack of space the need to integrate goals (especially for those who may be only intermittently employed in the unit) accommodating numerous, often rapid patient transitions across services. There was also the challenge of encouraging participation among patients and families with cultural and linguistic diversity, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, children, and those with mental health issues or who were distressed. Engaged and supported nurses who are good listeners can act as enablers of person-centred care by including patients in conversations about pain relief, access to care, comfort, nutrition, and social support.
Information-sheet-for-executive-and-clinical-leaders-Improving-patient-clinician-communication.docx