Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1122871
63 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Viewpoint: When families don't respect nurses, patient care can suffer By Mackenzie Bean P atients and their families often place more weight on a physician's words than a nurse's, which can threaten care quality, a registered nurse of 14 years wrote in an article for Healthline's Anonymous Nurse column. "I've seen this scenario play out time and time again, when the doctor repeats the same explanation the nurse provided moments before, only to be met with more of a respectful and confident reaction from the patient," the nurse wrote in the column. The nurse argues that these scenarios can affect care quality. Nurses who don't develop a good relationship with a patient or his or her family may not check on the patient as often or respond as quickly. In contrast, nurses who develop a good rapport with these individuals are more likely to offer medical advice and treatment information that the patient and family are more likely to follow. "The next time you meet a nurse, remember that they're never 'just' a nurse," the nurse concluded. "They're the eyes and ears for you and your loved one. They'll help catch signs to prevent you from getting sicker. They'll be your ad- vocate and voice when you don't feel you have one. They'll be there to hold your loved one's hand when you can't be there." n 3 factors affecting patient handoff communication By Anuja Vaidya A study published in Journal of General Internal Medicine examined complex interactions and communication norms that shape face-to- face patient handoffs. Researchers interviewed 35 residents in medical and surgery wards at three Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. They found that the effectiveness of handoff communication depends upon three factors: • Receiver characteristics • Type of shift • Patient's condition and perceived acuity The receiver characteristics that affected content shared during handoffs include subjective perceptions about an incoming resident's training or ability levels as well as the incoming resident's assumed preferences for information. Additionally, researchers found residents handing off to the night team of- fered more information about medical histories and care plans than residents handing off to the day team. Finally, residents shared more detailed information when they perceived higher patient acuity. n Having a medical professional in the family ups likelihood of hitting 80 By Anuja Vaidya H aving a nurse or physician in your family can result in a longer life, among other benefits, according to a working paper released by the Na- tional Bureau of Economic Research and authored by researchers from Stanford (Calif.) Medicine. Researcher gathered data from Sweden, where lotteries were used to break ties between equally qualified applicants to medical schools in the early 2000s. ey examined the health of lottery winners' family members and compared it to the families of those who lost. e study showed that those who have relatives in the health profession are 10 percent more likely to live beyond 80 years of age. Additionally, family members of health professionals are less likely to have chron- ic lifestyle-related conditions, such as heart attacks and diabetes. Finally, researchers found that the health benefits of being related to a healthcare professional occurred across the income spectrum, and especially benefitted those at the lower end of the income distribu- tion. is shows that access to informal health expertise could help mitigate health disparities. "If the government and healthcare system, including public and private insurers, could mimic what goes on inside families, then we could reduce health inequality by as much as 18 percent," said Petra Persson, PhD, an assistant professor of economics and co-author of the paper. n