Waiting for my first child to be born was so exciting. The days went by quickly and I spent my extra time shopping, painting and preparing for the arrival. I ate well, exercised, and took great care of myself. I was proud of my journey. Then, at 27 weeks into my pregnancy, I woke up one night with spotting. A quick call to my OB gave me some peace of mind, but he wanted me to be checked just to be sure. I went to the hospital and soon after I arrived my condition deteriorated. Within 12 hours, I was in trouble. An emergency C-section and two units of blood were required to save my life and my baby boy was born weighing just 2 lbs. 9 oz. Right before opening the doors to the OR for my C-section, my doctor took my hand and told me very candidly that I should not expect my baby to survive because his lungs were severely underdeveloped. Three months in the hospital and several surgeries later, he was finally ready to come home. Today, he is a father of his own.
Spending time in the hospital all day/every day gave me a lot of time to experience the challenges of healthcare and what other families experience, good and bad. In Shawn’s early years our time was spent with hospital and doctor follow up, and Early Intervention to tackle his developmental delays as a result of his grade 3 brain hemorrhage and shunt placement. I had profound respect and gratitude for the team that worked with him and who supported us along the way. I also had some not-so-pleasant experiences with some of the providers or staff, as well as systems in place at the time.
The concept of Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) was new in those days. And when the opportunity presented itself and I was asked to be a founding member of the Family Advisory Council at Penn State Hershey Medical Center for the Children’s Hospital, I knew I wanted to be part of it. To be able to sit side by side with hospital administration, hospital departments and nursing staff, AND other parents to identify ways to improve the hospital experience for other families I considered a legacy opportunity. With amazing resources (IPFCC) and leadership, our committee met monthly to review comments/issues brought to us by parents and their families during their hospital stay in an effort to improve the experience. The comments were compiled from paper, handwritten surveys used to gauge patient satisfaction. The feedback was and is crucial to providing the best possible care.
I wish our Insight360 platform would have been available at that time. Waiting for surveys to be mailed one month after discharge, returned via US mail at some point remembered, results compiled and reviewed by a committee only once a month, and taken to the FAC that met monthly was sometimes at least a six-to-nine-month process, significantly delaying any resolution of problems or initiation of innovative ideas. Today, the opportunity to have real-time data provides the information needed to “make it right” or address any concerns quickly, while also giving wish-list ideas an opportunity to come to life. What a game-changer!
Improvement in data collection leads to better outcomes, across all aspect of healthcare and a greater return on investment. The definition of insight is a deep understanding of a person or thing. Our Insight360 can bring the clarity needed for business growth and sustainability. Contact Us to chat about how we can partner for your success! Patient and Family Centered Care is not just about hearing but listening and Insight360 will capture that important voice. Insight really does matter.
Linda Gilgore, VP of Client Success