Patient and Family Engagement (PFE)

The Five CMS Patient and Family Engagement Metrics

By partnering with patients, their families and other caregivers, hospitals can improve the quality and safety of health care, reduce costs, increase employee satisfaction and improve the patient experience. The Health Research & Education Trust has developed a resource compendium to help link PFE concepts and strategies to available resources.

Download the compendium here.

KHC conducted a PFE webinar in July 2016 to review the five metrics. The recorded presentation with Tanya Lord can be accessed in the KHC educational archive. Download presentation handout (pdf).

Recorded presentation: "A primer for Patient and Family Engagement," by Cheryl Ruble, MS, RN, CNS, improvement advisor, Cynosure Health, at the Kansas Hospital Engagement Network Collaborative Meeting, December 2013. Cheryl also presented during a recorded webinar in September 23, 2015 on PFE, especially the discharge planning checklist. Download September webinar presentation handout (pdf).

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and its National Content Developer conducted a national Master Class Series during the original Hospital Engagement Network in support of hospitals' focus on patient and family engagement. Here are some specific Master Classes that relate directly to the 5 PFE metrics:

Resources for PFE Metrics

PFE Metric 1: Planning Checklist for patients known to be coming to the hospital

See Master Class #6
See Kansas HEN webinar held September 23, 2015.

PFE Metric 2: Conducting shift change huddles and bedside reporting with patients and family members in all feasible cases.

South Central HIINergy Partners Webinar: Transforming Cultures for Safety held August 2, 2017
AHRQ Nurse Bedside Shift Report Implementation Handbook (doc)
Modern Healthcare: Bedside handoffs boost patient satisfaction (Dec. 7, 2015)
See Master Class #3

Sample hospital videos demonstrating bedside handoffs with patients and families

AHRQ Bedside Shift Report video This video reinforces the material presented in the Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety.
Central Florida Regional Hospital Bedside Shift Report
Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) Bedside Shift Report COO and CNO Sherry Perkins describes the Bedside Shift Report and explains why it will improve patient care. Watch the entire video to see the Bedside Shift Report in action.
Bedside Handoff (IreyFamily13’s channel) (how to do it, how not to do it)
Animated videos developed by North Carolina Quality Center:
- Bedside shift report
- No bedside shift report

PFE Metric 3: Designation of an accountable leader in the hospital who is responsible for PFE.

See Master Class #4

PFE Metric 4: Hospital has an active Patient and Family Advisory Council or other committees where patients are represented.
Click here to learn more about KHC PFAC Collaborative (PFAC)

See Master Class #2
See Webinars Sustaining PFE through PFACs (Aug. 19, 2014) and Partnership for Patients PFE Networking Pacing Event (July 23, 2012)
See Kansas HEN webinar held February 2015
See video of actual PFAC meeting (3:36 min.)
See video of UW Health Patient and Family Advisory Partnership (4:55 min.)
See video of CHI Health Patient Family Advisory Councils (5:14 min.)

PFE Metric 5: Hospital has one or more patient representatives serving on the hospital board of directors.

Helping Hospitals Get Buy-in for PFE at the Governance Level held August 8, 2017
See Master Class #5

Patient and Family Advisory Council

Hospitals across the state and nation have made substantial progress in recent years in incorporating patient and family engagement (PFE) as part of their organizational approach to attaining higher levels of patient satisfaction and outcomes. Still, many hospitals are uncertain about how to envision the role of PFE in safety and quality improvement design and seek support in navigating the process of establishing an effective PFA or Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) program.