Bedside interdisciplinary rounds improve patient and provider experiences

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusOct 29 2024

A study led by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus reveals patients and providers have more positive overall care experiences when the entire healthcare team is a part of bedside interdisciplinary rounds (BIDR).

The study published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

The study found that BIDR, when the team meets at a patients' bedside in the hospital to discuss care plans, helps build trust between patients and their healthcare providers and within healthcare teams by allowing everyone to observe and work together more closely.

Traditional interdisciplinary rounds (IDR) consist of a clinical care team that coordinates a patient's care together to help promote collaboration in hospitals. BIDR takes this process a step further by taking the team to the bedside and involving patients and their families. BIDR transforms this traditional healthcare model by fostering trust through transparent communication, team collaboration and patient-centered care where every voice is heard, and every goal can be shared."

Katarzyna Mastalerz, MD, lead author and associate professor of hospital medicine at University of Colorado School of Medicine

The study interviewed 14 patients and 18 members of a interdisciplinary teams that included nurses, pharmacists and care coordinators.

Patients who participated in BIDR expressed positive feelings about being involved in their healthcare plans, which enhanced their trust in providers. Healthcare professionals reported improved respect and trust among colleagues, which contributed to better patient care.

While results were mostly promising, patients and providers said there is room for improvement to make the process more streamlined.

For example, some patients reported being uncomfortable due to the use of technical jargon and unclear communication regarding their treatment plans. Meanwhile, the providers said they faced challenges related to lack of supportive structures for interprofessional collaboration and lengthy presentations by physicians.

"To build effective BIDR, we suggest healthcare teams use transparency by sharing goals with patients, employing accessible patient-centered language, clearly delineating team roles for each team member, and actively addressing team input in real time" said Mastalerz. "With the professional siloes and hectic workflow that often characterize hospitals, it's especially important for hospital leadership to recognize, support, and create opportunities for collaborative work by interprofessional teams."