Research

The Center for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (CPFCC) is committed to conducting and supporting research that broadens opportunities to build patient-provider partnerships, strengthens health care quality, expands understanding of the impact PFCC has on patient safety and care quality, and increases students' knowledge and practice of PFCC. The Center is engaged in several research initiatives and endorses other MCG efforts that compliment and build patient- and family-focused care.

PFCC Research Interest Group

Interested students, faculty and staff convene once a quarter to learn about PFCC-related research taking place on the MCG campus and beyond. The research interest group sessions offer an opportunity to interact with others who are expanding PFCC scholarship and research. All five schools at MCG - Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, Medicine and Nursing- are represented. To learn more about the PFCC Research Interest Group contact comeara@mcg.edu.

Logic Model

In the spring of 2007, Dr. Judith Hibbard, Professor Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon, engaged MCG faculty and administration in an assessment process to ascertain how patient- and family-centered care could be integrated across campus. The introspective and prospective planning process resulted in a PFCC Logic Model that outlined proximal outcomes for patients, families and clinical teams and identified overall health outcomes for patients and their families.

Improving Patient Rounds (IPR): Patient- and Family-Centered Care Rounds "Takes On" Academic Bedside Rounds

PI: Walter J. Moore, MD and Peter F. Buckley, MD

Project Period: July 2008 - June 2009

Source: Picker Institute

This one-year quality improvement project addresses the fundamental challenge of making patient bedside rounds more patient-centered and accessible to families. Following planning focus groups representative of all constituents including patient advisors, a PFCC educational program will be developed for faculty, residents and staff assigned to general medicine service for nine months. The PFCC rounds will be introduced into the surgery unit after implementation in medicine. Written guidelines for conducting PFCC rounds will be disseminated.

Specific Aims: We anticipate PFCC rounds will be more in sync with the patient's physical and emotional needs resulting in:

• more coordinated care and direct quality contact time 
• improved timeliness/effectiveness of hospital discharges 
• shorter lengths of stay
• fewer medication errors
• greater satisfaction among patients, family members and healthcare teams
• improved assessments of medical student and resident performances in areas of interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism

Electronic Personal Health Record (ePHR)

PI: Pat Sodomka, FACHE and Peggy Wagner, PhD

Project Period: September 2007 - 2010

Source: Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Grant Number: HS 17234

The three-year AHRQ clinical trial examines the impact of a PFCC oriented ePHR on the management of chronic disease. Researchers will study the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a PFCC modified ePHR. The intervention group, patients using the PFCC ePHR, will be compared to patients receiving standard care.

Hundreds of MCG patients with hypertension participating in the study will be able to post their blood pressure, weight and dietary information into their medical record. They will be able to e-mail their physicians when needed.

Unique to the study design is the incorporation of PFCC principles such as extensive patient participation in technology design, development of study methods and qualitative discussions.

Specific Aims:

• To improve the application of patient- and family-centered care elements in an existing ePHR, based on feedback from a pilot study of patients and their families. Hypertension patients and their families will pilot test the modified ePHR.
• A team of physicians, mid-level practitioners, nurse clinicians and support staff in two ambulatory settings will implement and test the effectiveness of the PFCC modified ePHR with patients undergoing treatment for hypertension.
• Monitor changes in provider and support staff awareness and incorporation of patient- and family-centered care resulting from use of the ePHR.

Additional Resources: To learn more about the changing face of medicine using an ePHR, attend an on-line lecture by guest lecturer Dr. Ted Eytan.

Evidence Based Design

Project Period: 2007 - 2008

Source: MCG Health Inc

The Medical College of Georgia is nationally recognized for creating facility designs that nourish and support collaboration in patient/caregiver relationships in adult and children’s clinical programs.

Contracting with the College of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology through the expertise of Craig Zimring, PhD and architectural graduate student, Bo Seo, resulted in a scientific study of space utilization. This is a preliminary step to physical environment redesign.

A space utilization comparison in two adult care hospital units, Neurology Intensive Care Unit (Neuro ICU) and the Shock Trauma Intensive Care Unit (Shock Trauma ICU) was recently completed. The purpose of the study was to measure the impact of design on patient care and safety. Study results will aid in the redesign and reconstruction of the Neuro ICU and future projects.

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