What is the Patient and Family Advisory Council?
he Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is University of Utah Health's current and former patients, family members and caregivers who work together to advance best practices in our organization. The advisors meet with improvers at any point during their problem investigation, design, or implementation.
Some advisors are healthy, some are chronically ill, some feel comfortable with technology, and others are MyChart novices. All are passionate about improving the delivery of health care.
We provide a casual, honest, and safe environment to discuss projects and provide timely feedback that helps ensure the proposed solutions address actual patient needs.
Why should I bring my project to the Patient and Family Advisory Council?
The Patient and Family Advisory Council is a great way to practice your design thinking. Our advisors may bring up issues you have not considered in your project. If you have a project in mind, the perspectives of the advisors can save time and money by reducing the number of improvement cycles needed to find the solution.
What is Advise Utah?
Advise Utah is an online community of patients throughout the Intermountain West that provides feedback (typically regarding the same topic discussed at the PFAC session) in the form of customized short-form surveys.
Why should I bring my project to Advise Utah?
This targeted information is used to help improve health care delivery for patients at University of Utah Health and brings a wider variety of voices to our in-person PFAC session. Utilizing the Advise Utah surveys also ensures that patients will actually benefit from your improvement project.
How do we know when to come?
Start by asking:
(1) Do you have a problem or challenge that affects patients?
(2) Are you ready to tackle this problem or challenge now? Six months from now?
(3) Are you interested in patients’ perspectives on your problem or intervention?
Answering “yes” to any or all these questions? We’d love to talk to you at px@hsc.utah.edu even if you’re uncertain.
The best time to bring a project is during the early stages of planning. Maybe you have noticed a trend in your patient comments but are unsure where to start, or perhaps you are concerned about how to implement a new mandate, regulation, or policy. These are perfect times to come to the PFAC. Advisors offer a wide range of perspectives, which represent the demographics of the communities that we serve. You can also count on them to provide feedback you can use right now.
What types of projects do they review?
Examples of recent projects presented through the PFAC and Advise Utah include MyChart proxy access, new hospital garage signage, and the consent process during exams.
Here are a few more examples that incorporate patient feedback received:
Problem: We’re building a new outpatient clinic building. What should the exam rooms look like compared to the proposal from the architectural firm?
PFAC Feedback: Exam rooms should maximize conversation. Rooms should allow my doctor to look at me without the barrier of the computer, but there should also be a place for my doctor to show or draw something for me. At least 2 people need to fit in the room, and one of those may be in a wheelchair.
Problem: There is discomfort, extra cost, and lost time for patients that don’t properly prepare for their procedure.
PFAC Feedback:The prep document contradicted itself, needed to fit on one page, and should include more pictures or diagrams where possible.
Problem: Our acutely sick patients don’t know what to expect after their appointment.
PFAC Feedback: Acutely ill patients need more structured communication. Try providing written information at the end of the visit with diagnosis, medications, when the physician expects the patient to feel better, and what to do if the patient doesn’t feel better in the expected amount of time. (read more about same-day dermatology)
How do I begin? Here are five steps to prepare:
#1. Tell us about your project
If you have an improvement project or idea that you would like to run by PFAC and/or Advise Utah, start by filling out this form. The Patient Experience team will then contact you to schedule a planning meeting. During this initial meeting, we will discuss your project and how you can best engage the PFAC and Advise Utah.
#2. Together, we’ll prepare for the survey and session
From your form responses and information gathered during the planning meeting, our team will develop questions to ask the advisors for both the Advise Utah survey and the PFAC session.
For the Advise Utah survey, we’ll focus more on quantitative questions to uncover sentiment and themes that we can dig deeper into during the PFAC session. Surveys are sent to Advise Utah advisors 1 week prior to the PFAC session.
For the PFAC session, we’ll focus more on qualitative questions (around 3–5) that promote discussion and actionable feedback.
We’ll also develop a slide deck using your supporting materials to share during the PFAC session. The slide deck is sent to PFAC advisors 1 week prior to the PFAC session.
#3. Review survey results and attend the session
Prior to the PFAC session, we will send you the survey results to review. If needed, our team will refine the presentation and discussion questions depending on the survey feedback.
PFAC sessions are held on the second Monday of the month via Zoom from 12:00–1:00pm.
We recommend sending no more than one project representative to the session.
Our team will facilitate the session. We’ll give an introduction, jump start the discussion, ask questions, and take notes so you can listen rather than take notes.
While it may feel a little stressful or anxiety-inducing, most of those fears are dissuaded once you get into the session. Our advisors are engaged and welcoming. They want your project to be successful.
Great sessions happen when both patients and improvers feel heard. Active listening and open communication goes a long way.
#4. Reflect and improve
Approximately one week after the meeting, we will send over a package that includes the results of the Advise Utah survey, the meeting recording, transcription, and qualitative content analysis.
Improvers are encouraged to come back to the group to provide updates on their project, seek additional feedback, and provide closure to patients.
This article was originally published Feb. 5, 2020 and has been updated with current information.
Corrie Harris
Shayma Salih
University of Utah Health’s director of patient experience Mari Ransco examines the pandemic patient experience through the lens of the 5 Elements: U of U Health’s qualitative model for delivering an exceptional patient experience.
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