title: The Pediatric Inpatient Family Care Conference: a proposed structure toward shared decision-making.
abstract: Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase in the medical complexity of patients on the pediatric inpatient service while at the same time, there are few data to show that families are satisfied with communication of complex issues. Family care conferences are defined as an opportunity outside of rounds to meet and discuss treatment decisions and options. They offer a potential pathway for psychosocial support and facilitated communication. The lack of consensus about the structure of these conferences impedes our ability to research patient, family, and provider outcomes related to communication. The goal of the present article was to describe a structure for family care conferences in the pediatric inpatient setting with a literature-based description of each phase of the conference. The theoretical framework for the structure is that patient and family engagement can improve communication and ultimately health care quality. This proposed model offers guidance to providers and researchers whose goal is to improve communication on the inpatient service.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; and Children's Outcomes Research, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado david.fox@childrensocolorado.org.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; and Children's Outcomes Research, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brittan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; and Children's Outcomes Research, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stille
mesh_terms: D003226:Congresses as Topic; D003657:Decision Making; D006302:Health Services Research; D064416:Hospital Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020445:Hospitalists; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D062526:Patient Navigation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011368:Professional-Family Relations
keywords: care conferences; communication; pediatric hospitalist; shared decision-making