This is the current release of the guideline.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policies are reviewed every 3 years by the authoring body, at which time a recommendation is made that the policy be retired, revised, or reaffirmed without change. Until the Board of Directors approves a revision or reaffirmation, or retires a statement, the current policy remains in effect.

1. Pediatricians should actively consider how they can ensure that the core concepts of family-centered care are incorporated into all aspects of their professional practice.
2. Pediatricians should unequivocally convey respect for parents' or guardians' unique insight into and understanding of their child's behavior and needs, should actively seek out their observations, and should appropriately incorporate family preferences into the care plan. Decisions on a patient's plan of care should be made only after such consultation has been made. In hospitals, conducting attending physician rounds (i.e., patient presentations and rounds discussions) in the patients' rooms with the family present should be standard practice. This will facilitate the exchange of information between the family and other members of the child's health care team and encourage the involvement of the family in the decisions that are commonly made during rounds. In teaching hospitals in particular, a lasting impression will be made on students and house staff when they are encouraged in this process by their attending physician.
3. Working with families in decision making and information sharing in all practice settings should always take into account the older child's and young adult's capacity for independent decision making and right to privacy and confidentiality.
4. Parents and guardians should be offered the option to be present with their child during medical procedures and offered support before, during, and after the procedure.
5. Pediatricians should promote the active participation of all children in the management and direction of their own health care, beginning at an early age and continuing into adult health care.
6. In collaboration with families and other health care professionals, pediatricians should examine systems of care, individual interactions with patients and families, and patient flow and should modify these as needed to improve the patient's and family's experience of care.
7. In every health care encounter, pediatricians should share information with children and families in ways that are useful and affirming. They should also ensure that there are systems in place that facilitate children and families' access to consumer health information and support.
8. Pediatricians should encourage and facilitate family-to-family support and networking, particularly with families of similar cultural and linguistic backgrounds or families who have children with the same type of medical condition.
9. In hiring staff, developing job descriptions, and designing performance-appraisal processes, pediatricians should make explicit the expectation of collaboration with patients and families and other family-centered behaviors.
10. Pediatricians should create a variety of ways for children and families to serve as advisors—as members of child or family advisory councils, committees, and task forces dealing with operational issues in hospitals, clinics, and office-based practices; as participants in quality improvement initiatives; as educators of staff and professionals in training; and as leaders or coleaders of peer support programs.
11. Health care institutions should design their facilities to promote the philosophy of family-centered care. Pediatricians should advocate for opportunities for children and families to participate in design planning for renovation or construction of hospitals, clinics, and office-based practices.
12. Education and training in family-centered care should be provided to all trainees, students, and residents as well as staff members.
13. Ongoing research on outcomes and implementation of family-centered care in all venues of care, including community-based pediatrics, is needed.
14. Families should be invited to collaborate in pediatric research programs. They should have a voice at all levels in shaping the research agenda, in determining how children and families participate in research, and in deciding how research findings will be shared with children and families.
15. Health care payment systems should examine their policies to ensure that appropriate reimbursement is provided for family-centered services.

None provided

The type of evidence supporting each recommendation is not specifically stated.

Not applicable: The guideline was not adapted from another source.

2003 Sep

American Academy of Pediatrics - Medical Specialty Society

American Academy of Pediatrics

Committee on Hospital Care

Committee on Hospital Care, 2002-2003: John M. Neff, MD, Chairperson; *Jerrold M. Eichner, MD; David R. Hardy, MD; Michael Klein, MD; Jack M. Percelay, MD, MPH; Ted Sigrest, MD; Erin R. Stucky, MD

Liaisons: Susan Dull, RN, MSN, MBA, National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions; Mary T. Perkins, RN, DNSc, American Hospital Association; Jerriann M. Wilson, CCLS, MEd, Child Life Council

Consultants: Timothy E. Corden, MD; Elizabeth J. Ostric

Staff: Stephanie Mucha, MPH

Institute for Family-Centered Care: *Beverley H. Johnson, President; Elizabeth Ahmann, ScD, RN; Elizabeth Crocker, MEd; Nancy DiVenere; Gail MacKean, PhD; William E. Schwab, MD; Terri Shelton, PhD

*Lead authors

Not stated

This is the current release of the guideline.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policies are reviewed every 3 years by the authoring body, at which time a recommendation is made that the policy be retired, revised, or reaffirmed without change. Until the Board of Directors approves a revision or reaffirmation, or retires a statement, the current policy remains in effect.

None available

None available

This NGC summary was completed by ECRI on February 19, 2004. The information was verified by the guideline developer on April 2, 2004.

This NGC summary is based on the original guideline, which is subject to the guideline developer's copyright restrictions. Please contact the Permissions Editor, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 141 Northwest Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007.