Information to Help Hospitals Get Started

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Research shows that when patients are engaged in their health care, it can lead to measurable improvements in safety and quality. To promote stronger engagement, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed the Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety, a tested, evidence-based resource to help hospitals work as partners with patients and families to improve quality and safety.

The Information to Help Hospitals Get Started section covers --

  • How to select, implement, and evaluate the Guide’s strategies
  • How patient and family engagement can benefit your hospital
  • How senior hospital leadership can promote patient and family engagement

Word and PowerPoint files are provided so that hospitals can tailor them for their organizations. 

Materials include:

  • About the Guide to Patient and Family Engagement – Provides an overview of the Guide’s purpose and strategies
    [ Microsoft Word file Microsoft Word version - 68.51 KB; PDF file PDF version - 354.36 KB ]
  • How Patient and Family Engagement Benefits Your Hospital – Contains more detailed information about why patient and family engagement is important
    [ Microsoft Word file Microsoft Word version - 501.47 KB ; PDF file PDF version - 345.45 KB ]
  • How to Use the Guide to Patient and Family Engagement - Outlines four broad steps to help hospitals start the process of using the strategies and tools in the Guide
    [ Microsoft Word file Microsoft Word version - 2.27 MB ; PDF file PDF version - 503.27 KB ]
  • Supporting Patient and Family Engagement: Best Practices for Hospital Leaders - Provides specific advice and suggestions on how senior leaders can create a supportive environment for patients and families
    [ Microsoft Word file Microsoft Word version - 1.46 MB ; PDF file PDF version - 368.79 KB ]
  • The Guide to Patient and Family Engagement: What Is It, and How Does It Benefit Our Hospital? – Provides talking points on the benefits of patient and family engagement and the support that is needed
    [ Microsoft PowerPoint file Microsoft PowerPoint version - 184.89 KB and PDF file PDF version - 427.16 KB ]
  • Ways to Learn More – Provides links to resources on patient- and family-centered care, patient safety, and more
    [ Microsoft Word file Microsoft Word version - 83.18 KB ; PDF file PDF version - 331.07 KB ]

Users can also download all of the materials in zipped format by selecting: Information to Help Hospitals Get Started (Zip files) [ compressed file archive - 7.08 MB]

After reviewing these materials, users can implement any of the following Guide strategies:

Current as of June 2013
Internet Citation: Information to Help Hospitals Get Started. June 2013. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/engagingfamilies/patfamilyengageguide/howtogetstarted/getstarted.html