Listening Better Through Bedside Rounding: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Abstract

Background: Bedside rounding is vital for physicians to connect with hospitalized patients. In this study, we developed and implemented a bedside rounding quality improvement initiative focused on bedside communication and physician listening. Methods: Our study included developing and implementing a standardized bedside rounding intervention with resident and faculty education in a major academic teaching hospital. A total of 63 patients were surveyed before and after intervention implementation. Results: Implementation of bedside rounding resulted in increased patient awareness of the daily medical plan, their diagnosis and concerns addressed but was not associated with improvement in explanation of plan (p = 0.08) in a comparison between teams that implemented bedside rounding versus those that did not. Conclusions: Bedside rounding demonstrated a trend toward improved patient-provider communication in the hospital, but more investigation is required prior to broader implementation.