Breakdowns in communication between care providers and families of hospitalized patients are one of the greatest causes of serious medical errors, some even leading to death. These communication breakdowns are often caused when nurses and family members are unable to attend daily rounds given by doctors to discuss important medical information. Hospital rounds are unpredictable, very brief slots of time when a doctor is able to step into the room to assess a patient.
Many family members end up taking extended periods of time off work in order to be present during their loved one’s hospital stay. The inability to predict when the doctor will stop by during rounds causes the family members to remain at their loved-one’s bedside all day long, for fear of missing their turn with the doctor. If a family member has been waiting for hours and just happened to step out of the room to grab a bite to eat or use the restroom while it’s their turn, there is no second chance for that day. This more often than not causes important information to slip through the cracks. Additionally, some family members do not even have the ability to take time off work to be there in person, which can perpetuate inequities.