Improving Patient, Family, Caregiver Communication and Facilitating Care Transitions

Since its designation as a Children's Hospital by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, Maimonides Infants & Children's Hospital (MICH) has continually worked to provide the highest levels of quality care in all pediatrics subspecial­ties. Serving over 750,000 children of diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds in South Brooklyn, MICH identified the need to improve communi­cation between healthcare professionals, patients, and their families. Through inter­views, evidence­based research, and research from other children's hospitals, the Capstone team identified key commu­nication problems and compiled and ana­lyzedthisresearchtoproducerecommendations that MICH can use as it expands services, develops communication strategies, and creates mechanisms to evaluate and measure the organization's success in ful­filling its mission.