MedEdPORTAL (May 2015)
Family Feedback Always Assessment Tools for Pediatric Patients
Abstract
Abstract Family feedback is an essential component of family-centered care. Both encouraging and facilitating a process that promotes honest feedback from the family's perspectives are crucial. A large body of literature supports the value of the patient− and family-centered medical home and the integral role of physician/family/patient communication within its context. Moreover, the Pediatric Milestones Project identifies the need to assess residents on incorporating family feedback as a critical skill (within the competencies of interpersonal and communication skills, and systems-based practice). We attempted to address this need through the development of these multirater tools that can be used to provide residents with feedback on how well they incorporate family feedback in their clinical practice. We developed a Resident Self-Assessment Tool (RSA), which allows residents to assess how well they feel they elicit family feedback. Residents rate themselves on how well they perceive they performed behaviors deemed necessary to elicit family feedback. We also developed a Family/Caregiver Perception Tool (FP). The intent of the FP is to provide residents with feedback on observable behaviors as perceived by families/caregivers during individual encounters. The perception of the family/caregiver is critical in helping residents learn how well they elicit family feedback. The intent is to capture family/caregiver perception in a given clinical encounter. Using the RSA and the FP together will help provide residents with feedback on their skills in eliciting family feedback—an important step towards providing patient− and family-centered care. We conducted a qualitative pilot study of the tools through a multicenter study in the continuity clinic setting. Ten programs were enrolled, with one program unable to participate due to incompatible study time lines. A total of nine Pediatric Residency Training Programs used the FP and RSA in the period of May-September 2012. A total of 143 PGY 2 residents participated, with a total of 377 FPs and 143 RSAs completed. Overall, programs reported that the assessment tools were useful and reasonable to implement. Specifically, data from the qualitative study showed that the tools were a reasonable length and literacy level for families/caregivers, as well as a reasonable effort for residents. Additionally, administration of the tools was reasonable to faculty members and not burdensome in terms of time or effort. Programs also reported being able to incorporate the tools into their already-busy programs and found them to be a beneficial addition.
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