Family centered care

Family-centered care or Family-centered service has been discussed and promoted most prominently in the context of child health, and especially concerning chronic conditions of childhood. This approach provides an expanded view of how to work with children and families. Family-centered service is made up of a set of values, attitudes, and approaches to services for children with special needs and their families. In some family-centered settings such as the Hasbro Children's Partial Hospital Program, medical and psychiatric services are integrated to help teach parents and children methods to treat both types of symptoms. Family-centered service recognizes that each family is unique; that the family is the constant in the child’s life; and that they are the experts on the child’s abilities and needs. The family works with service providers to make informed decisions about the services and supports the child and family receive. In family-centered service, the strengths and needs of all family members are considered.

Family-centered service reflects a shift from the traditional focus on the biomedical aspects of a child’s condition to a concern with seeing the child in context of their family and recognizing the primacy of family in the child’s life. The principles argue in favour of an approach that respects families as integral and coequal parts of the health care team. This approach is expected to improve the quality and safety of a patient's care by helping to foster communication between families and health care professionals. Furthermore, by taking family/patient input and concerns into account, the family feels comfortable working with professionals on a plan of care, and professionals are "on board" in terms of what families expect with medical interventions and health outcomes. In some health systems, patients and family members serve as advisers to the hospital in order to provide input that can lead to general quality improvement efforts. Family-centered approaches to health care intervention also generally lead to wiser allocation of health care resources, as well as greater patient and family satisfaction.

“Family” means any person(s) who plays a significant role in an individual’s life. This may include a person(s) not legally related to the individual who act as advocates. Members of “family” include spouses, domestic partners, and both different-sex and same-sex significant others. “Family” includes a minor patient’s parents, regardless of the gender of either parent. Solely for purposes of visitation policy, the concept of parenthood is to be liberally construed without limitation as encompassing legal parents, foster parents, same-sex parent, stepparents, those serving in loco parentis, and other persons operating in caretaker roles.

This definition of family was developed in consultation with the Healthcare Equality Index Advisory Council, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and Joint Commission staff members. Like the majority of the definitions of “family” contained in submitted hospital policy, this definition establishes a broad and encompassing concept of family. The specifically enumerated members of family provide guidance to staff and prevent biased interpretation to the contrary. It should be noted that the concept of “domestic partners” contained in this definition encompasses not only domestic partnerships, but all legally recognized same-sex relationships, including civil unions and reciprocal beneficiary arrangements. The definition also focuses on a functional definition of parenthood as established by the individual’s role as caretaker of a minor child. This is designed to ensure visitor access for the individuals most responsible for the care of a minor patient, even if this caretaker relationship lacks formal recognition under applicable state law.

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