Review of Best Practices for Patient Monitoring to Improve the Effectiveness of Therapy in Pediatric Hospitals

Abstract

Context: Significant differences exist in the needs of an adult patient and those of a sick child with members of his or her family involved. Monitoring questionnaires of patients and their family members can show ways to improve medical care and develop methods for effective staff behavior. The Consumer Assessment System for Healthcare Service Providers and Systems (CAHPS) helps hospitals, using management data, to identify strengths and weaknesses, determine what needs improvement, and track progress over time.

Objective: The study intended to identify the most effective methods for monitoring patients and their families in pediatric hospitals, which can lead to the achievement of high-level medical care.

Design: The research team performed a narrative review by searching the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, PubMed Central, and the National Library of Medicine databases for scientific studies and reports from researchers who have used the innovations from CAHPS in their practices. The search used the keywords children and hospital, improving the quality of service, coordination of care, and medical care.

Setting: The study took place in the Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation at the Medical University of Lublin in Lublin, Poland.

Outcome measures: The research team analyzed the selected studies to find specific, applicable, and successful monitoring methodology.

Results: The study examined many important aspects of the stay of children in a hospital and of the difficulties that young patients and their families face and identified the most effective monitoring methods for various areas that affect the interests of a child and his or her family within the walls of the hospital.

Conclusions: This review provides direction for medical institutions, allowing the possibility of improving the quality of patient monitoring. Researchers have carried out few studies in pediatric hospitals today, and the field needs further study.