Caregiver Inclusivity and Empowerment During Family-Centered Rounds

OBJECTIVE: Despite widespread adoption of family-centered rounds, few have investigated differences in the experience of family-centered rounds by family race and ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to explore racial and ethnic differences in caregiver perception of inclusion and empowerment during family-centered rounds. METHODS: We identified eligible caregivers of children admitted to the general pediatrics team through the electronic health record. Surveys were completed by 99 caregivers (47 non-Latinx White and 52 Black, Latinx, or other caregivers of color). To compare agreement with statements of inclusivity and empowerment, we used the Wilcoxon rank sum test in unadjusted analyses and linear regression for the adjusted analyses. RESULTS: Most (91%) caregivers were satisfied or extremely satisfied with family-centered rounds. We found no differences by race or ethnicity in statements of satisfaction or understanding family-centered rounds content. However, in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, we found that White caregivers more strongly agreed with the statements "I felt comfortable participating in rounds," "I had adequate time to ask questions during rounds," and "I felt a valued member of the team during rounds" compared with Black, Latinx, and other caregivers of color. CONCLUSIONS: Congruent with studies of communication in other settings, caregivers of color may experience barriers to inclusion in family-centered rounds, such as medical team bias, less empathic communication, and shorter encounters. Future studies are needed to better understand family-centered rounds disparities and develop interventions that promote inclusive rounds.