The effect of family-centered care on unplanned emergency room visits, hospital readmissions and intensive care admissions after surgery: a root cause analysis from a prospective multicenter study in the Netherlands

Optimizing transitional care by practicing family-centered care might reduce unplanned events for patients who undergo major abdominal cancer surgery. However, it remains unknown whether involving family caregivers in patients' healthcare also has negative consequences for patient safety. This study assessed the safety of family involvement in patients' healthcare by examining the cause of unplanned events in patients who participated in a family involvement program (FIP) after major abdominal cancer surgery.