Patient Family Centered Care (PFCC) is a concept familiar to most healthcare professionals. The Institute of Medicine defines PFCC as “Providing Care that is respectful and responsive to patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions”. But when questioned, many healthcare professionals think PFCC means open visitation only. 

PFCC was first implemented at Georgia Health Sciences Health System in 1993 during the planning and design of the Children’s Medical Center. Patients and their families were intimately involved in every decision from meals to sleeping arrangements. These concepts of PFCC have become an integral components of GHSU’s mission and vision. PFCC is a vehicle to improve patient satisfaction, quality and safety. Typically Perinatal Services in an area that excels in meeting the goals of PFCC but unfortunately the concept was not a highlight of our approach to providing care.

Proposed change: Perinatal Services at GHSU identified several opportunities for improvement.   Implementation of PFCC in the Perinatal Unit included: establishment of a Patient Advisory Council, targeted education of medical and nursing staff, renovations of the Women’s Health Unit into a state of the art environment approved by current and former patients and a work redesign implementing mother-baby couplet care with patient input.

Implementation, outcomes and evaluation: In 2007, a Perinatal Patient Advisory Council was established. By 2009, renovations were underway based on input from patient advisors and key hospital employees. A significant work redesign was implemented with elimination of an admission/transition nursery and implementation of true mother-baby couplet care. Mothers and their newborns were no longer separated at birth. Patient advisors gave significant input on our Infant Security System.  Patient education handouts and discharge instructions were redesigned to be user friendly and approved for use by our patient advisors. Specific comments on our Press Ganey surveys were examined.  Patients and their families were routinely asked during bedside report and leadership rounds what could be done to “WOW” them during their inpatient stay. Follow-up phone calls and patient satisfaction surveys have demonstrated that PFCC does make a difference.

Implications for nursing practice: Adoption of a PFCC philosophy is pivotal to improving patient satisfaction and potentially impacting healthcare outcomes. In an academic institution, ensuring the involvement of patients and families in student and resident education can have a lasting impact on one’s health care career.

Keywords: PFCC(Patient Family Centered Care), patient advisors