Your Resource for HQIC News and Learning Opportunities | Feb. 2023
Patient and Family Engagement
Establishing a partnership with patients and families is imperative in improving patient quality and safety. Patient and family engagement (PFE) helps develop mutual respect and trust between the patient, care partner, and healthcare providers. With the goal of improving health, the healthcare experience, and outcomes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Foundational Principles of PFE are to:
  • Promote Informed Decision Making.
  • Share Preferences and Values.
  • Co-create Goals.
  • Promote PFE Best Practices.
  • Encourage Engagement and Self Management.1
This begins prior to admission and continues throughout hospitalization, until discharge.2

While PFE remains a priority with CMS, hospitals found it challenging to maintain PFE initiatives during the pandemic. However, hospitals are re-energizing efforts to continue these initiatives.

If your organization would like assistance in developing your PFE initiatives or implementing new strategies, please reach out to an HSAG HQIC Quality Advisor who has tools and resources that can assist you with engaging patients and care partners in their care. HSAG HQIC is also launching the PFE Quickinar Series to assist hospitals in furthering their PFE initiatives.  
The Flash: Resources
PFE Measures Checklist
To assist hospitals with meeting the PFE metrics, HSAG HQIC has put together a checklist for the five CMS PFE measures and details of what must be in place to be compliant with these measures.
PFE Coaching Package
This HSAG HQIC document assists hospitals in achieving a shared vision of PFE and meeting the five PFE metrics. Materials describe each of the five PFE metrics and the intent and benefit of each one.
PFE Roadmap to Success
A component of PFE, and one of the five metrics, is to have a Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) in place at your hospital. To assist with this metric, HSAG HQIC developed a roadmap to success that provides step-by-step instructions of how to implement and maintain a PFAC.
Critical Communication
COVID-19 Bivalent Booster
CMS is asking hospitals to assess the vaccination status of patients being discharged to congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes, short-term rehabilitation facilities, group homes, etc., and have patients be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. If a patient is found to not have received the bivalent booster, please offer it prior to discharge, if eligible.

For questions about the up-to-date status for patients, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) most recent guidance. HSAG also provides this simple algorithm for your reference.
Events and Education
PFE Quickinar Series
Establishing a partnership with patients and families improves patient quality and safety—from admission to discharge. Discover how to keep patients and families at the center of care and engage staff to form an alliance with patients and families. 

1st & 3rd Thursdays. Begins February 2, 2023  | 1-1:30 p.m. ET
Phase 2: Care Coordination Quickinar Series
Continue your care coordination journey for managing avoidable hospital readmissions by registering for these short, 30-minute webinars—offered monthly through July 2023. Find details and recordings for past presentations on the webpage.

Next webinar: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 | 2-2:30 p.m. ET
Health Equity
Quickinar Series
Achieving equitable care for all patients is a key priority for CMS, which is reflected in the new Hospital Commitment to Health Equity Structural Measure and Social Drivers Screening Measures in the Final Rule. These short, 30-minute presentations address the many facets and criteria hospitals will need to meet for these measures and will assist your hospital in advancing health equity initiatives in alignment with CMS priorities.

2nd & 4th Thursdays. Next: February 9, 2023  | 1-1:30 p.m. ET
References
1. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Person and Family Engagement Strategy: We’re Putting Patients First. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityInitiativesGenInfo/Person-and-Family-Engagement.
2. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety. Available at: https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/patients-families/engagingfamilies/index.html.
This material was prepared by Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), a Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor (HQIC) under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. Publication No XS-HQIC-XT-01312023-1