Better Together Toolkit

Isolating patients at their most vulnerable time from the people who know them best places them at risk for medical error, emotional harm, inconsistencies in care, lack of preparedness for the transitions of care, and unnecessary costs. Yet in many hospitals and health systems, outdated visiting policies still separate families and other loved ones during hospital stays.

Changing these policies is the first step toward creating a patient- and family-centered culture where families are recognized as essential to patients' health and well-being, and where they are respected as allies for quality and safety.

IPFCC's campaign, Better Together: Partnering with Families, equips hospital leaders with the rationale, tools, and support needed to change visiting policies. The tools are designed for hospitals that are just beginning to think about changing policies—and for hospitals that have already begun the process but can benefit from additional resources.

The Toolkit created by IPFCC for the Better Together campaign includes the following materials available to hospitals to download and use:

• Strategies for Changing Policies
  Steps and models to use in the process of developing new policies
• Strategies for Educating Staff
  Strategies and resources for bringing staff "on board" with new policies and practices
• Guidance about Family Participation
  Practical ways to work TOGETHER as a team
• Videos
• Sample Website for Family Presence (Download)

Additionally, hospitals have access to other valuable resources—publications, technical assistance, seminars, and webinars—offered by the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care.