Wow. Yes! And...wow. We are getting there.

“We are broadening the definition of harm to include disrespectful care, which is every bit as important as an infection in the ICU.” 
-Peter Pronovost on improving the patient experience in the ICU.

My boyfriend washed my pantyhose! (and how that relates to PFAs)

I am a chilly-natured person and, even in mild weather, my feet get cold easily. To remedy this, I have recently begun taking a page from my grandmother's fashion guide and wearing knee high pantyhose. (No, not with skirts...so far)

It's been a wonderful solution and my feet stay warm!

I had only one challenge upon implementation: Mom's teachings from my Sunday School days dictate that all pantyhose must be hand washed in the sink with some mild detergent.

Blerg.

I was, and always will be, way too lazy/busy/stubborn to do that. 

So I didn't.

That meant I had a big pile of knee-high pantyhose in the hamper with no real plan of when or how they would get clean.

That's when it happened. I went away on business and my boyfriend had laundry duty. He washed my knee-high pantyhose with the rest of the wash and even put them in the dryer! 

Certainly they were destroyed! Runs and holes everywhere! Right? Nope. They looked fine. Clean and in perfect condition.

So what, you ask? Well, I agree that this is not the most interesting of topics and I thank you for hanging in there with me. The "so what" is this:

Patient Family Advisors are like my Boyfriend Who Washed My Pantyhose. 

Sometimes we as humans, and especially humans who work in healthcare, can become so entrenched in the "should do" or the "we have always done" that it takes someone that knows nothing about pantyhose...er, I mean healthcare, to show us a new, easier or better way. 

Letting a person into the world of healthcare--one that is so complicated and works within the lines of life and death all day long--when they don't have the same education, background or expertise as an MD or an RN can seem silly to some, even dangerous to others.  It is essential to balance those reservations with the understanding that, without the clear vision of a person who is untainted by that same training, background and expertise, it is likely healthcare continues to wash its pantyhose in the sink when a more streamlined approach exists. 

I am often asked in one form or another, "What does genuine partnership between patients, families and providers look like?" One answer now seems abundantly clear: Embracing genuine partnership means asking the novice how he would wash your pantyhose!

Cincinnati Children's gives patients a place for their voice!

I was impressed with many aspects of Cincinnati Children's and had thought-provoking conversations with many dedicated, innovative and passionate providers/leaders/staff.

One design element of the facility itself caught my eye and touched my heart. It was a radio station in the center of it all. Here, kids can come to talk across the airwaves about what sits on their hearts and minds.

What a great way to provide creative stimulation in the often boring hospital environment.
What a wonderful venue for the patient voice--live and in studio!





Way to go Cincinnati Children's!

Martha Hayward from IHI knows how to "create weather"!

"If you want to improve diversity in your PFE efforts, you can't just have one person, there has to be at least 2 new voices. That way, they can create their own weather."

Thanks for the great advice and the great new phrase, Martha!

My advice? Have dinner with Beth.

If you want to reconnect to your PFE work, have dinner with Beth...or another smart friend with extensive patient experience.

I'm a patient, obviously, but I know all of my own stories and I tell them pretty often. Sitting down with Beth for a friendly dinner reminded me of the power of other patient stories and, even more so, having a good ole fashioned conversation about the patient experience.

I wasn't asking Beth for any tips of PFE or trying to learn about a PFE best practice. I was listening to her stories and they reminded me why we care about PFE and why we have to keep working at it!

Beth told me one story about a frustrated CF patient who was considering transferring her care to another health system because of strict, inflexible infection protocols. Infection protocols? This seem pretty clinically cut and dry, no? No. Not when you look at it from a PFE perspective.

These infection protocols require that patients stay in their rooms, no matter what.

For a day or two, sure no problem. But, what about the patient who is hospitalized for weeks or months? At what point to we consider their mental health?

What about the patient whose child wants to come visit but a recent loss of a loved one in that hospital makes that visit to a hospital room traumatic for the child? Is there no room to consider the need of the patient to connect with their child while also considering the child's experience?

If the risk is to the patient, as in this case, and not to the general public, at what point do we allow the patient to make an educated decision about the risks they feel are and are not worth taking in order to balance quality of life, family, work and health?

Beth and I spoke about these and many other situations where the patient could have had the option to make decisions but, instead, the patient's specific perspective was never considered.

We have come so far in this journey. We have so far to go. If you want to remember why PFE work matters, I highly recommend taking the conversation beyond the conferences and beyond the PFACs. Sometimes, a good old fashioned conversation over dinner with a person you like and respect can be just what you need the most.

Thank you, Beth! Let's have dinner again soon!