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My Baby Had WHAT?” Bridging the Gap Between Medical Terms and Patient Understanding

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:46:03 GMT

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(1) “My Baby Had WHAT?” Bridging the Gap Between Medical Terms and Patient Understanding | LinkedIn

A New Take on Patient Advocacy Rounding: An Advocate-to-Caregiver Approach Improving both the Caregiver and Patient Experience

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 23:16:40 GMT

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Rounding is a well-established practice in healthcare, known for significantly improving patient experience scores, reducing safety incidents, and enhancing caregiver satisfaction. But how can patient advocacy teams integrate into the rounding process to benefit not only the patient experience but the caregiver experience at the same time?

Many patient advocacy teams engage in patient rounding either proactively—by visiting patients shortly after admission to ensure their stay is going well—or reactively, by addressing issues with unhappy patients. However, what if advocacy teams focused on rounding with caregivers instead?

At Intermountain Health, we developed an Advocacy-to-Caregiver/Leader Rounding Program to empower frontline caregivers and leaders to resolve issues in real-time. This approach has proven to quickly rebuild trust with patients and their families and increase caregiver satisfaction by providing the tools needed to handle escalated situations effectively.

Purposeful rounding by advocacy-to-caregiver teams allows for:

Developing relationships and building trust with leaders and frontline caregivers.
Identifying learning needs and sharing complaint and grievance data for quality care improvements.
Providing expertise in advocacy-related topics.
Empowering leaders and staff with resources, including de-escalation tools to address patient, family, or caregiver concerns promptly and effectively.
Connecting with teams compassionately while appreciating and celebrating team successes.

Advocates at each hospital plan quarterly rounds on specific units, coordinating with unit leaders. Preparation for rounding includes reviewing the complaint and grievance dashboard in the Event Management System (EMS). This helps identify trends and common themes from the previous quarter, to ensure meaningful discussions with caregivers.

Before rounding begins, advocates take time to consider the unit’s needs:

Are there specific goals I need to accomplish, such as sharing new guidelines or resources?
Are there concerning trends in the EMS or patient experience data?
Are there follow-up items from last quarter?

After each rounding session, the advocacy team follows up with unit leaders to provide additional resources based on the conversations held. They also plan any necessary follow-up sessions before the next quarter, such as teaching units how to use the EMS to identify trends or discussing de-escalation strategies.

Patient advocates have highlighted the numerous new connections and relationships formed with frontline staff since the initiation of rounding. Meeting with care teams to offer support versus contacting them to share a patient concern has been refreshing for all teams. Gaining new perspectives and insights about various departments has helped frontline caregivers and leaders, as well as the advocates, better understand the reasons behind some patient concerns.

The advocates noted that most caregivers were very eager to learn, share information, and establish connections. Leaders and staff were excited to learn about resources they had previously been unaware of. With the ability of our EMS to capture the number of patient complaints that frontline caregivers resolve in the moment, one hospital saw a 36% increase in the number of complaints resolved by caregivers in the moment after the initiation of advocacy rounding.

Implementation of proactive advocacy rounding with care teams has been a win for patients, advocates and care teams. Patients feel listened to, cross-team relationships have been built, and staff have tools and resources to improve the experience of our patients.

Synergistic Superheroes: Why Pilates and Chiropractic Care are the Batman and Robin to your Wellness Journey

kgruns123@gmail.com (Kelly Gibbons) — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 23:01:25 GMT

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Chiropractic care and Pilates are great partners in your overall health and well-being. The combination of both helps to align the spine, strengthen the core, and improve nervous system function. Using both to help create a more balanced body and a life full of vitality may also decrease pain, create more stability, and provide a deeper connection between physical and mental well-being. Let us take a deeper look into this effective combination:

The Chiropractic Connection

If you think of your spine as the connection to all parts of your body, any misalignments to that connection can attribute pain or the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Chiropractic care can both heal and enhance health using techniques such as manual manipulation, muscle release or muscle activation therapy, and even newer technologies such as laser therapy.

Pilates Power

Pilates is a form of exercise created by Joseph Pilates in the early part of the 20th century . Its initial mainstream start was used as a modality to rehabilitate soldiers during World War I and professional dancers from the wear and tear of muscle overuse. Pilates concentrates on core engagement and just like Chiropractic care, it emphasizes proper body alignment.

The Pilates and Chiropractic Synergy

So, what happens when you take the two powerhouses of Pilates and Chiropractic care, and put them together?

Let us take a look at one of the most common ailments that plague the population: lower back pain. In today’s world, over 85% of the population have some sort of back pain that leads them to seek care [i] .

For lower back pain Chiropractic care uses spinal manipulation, either by hand or with a device, to apply a controlled thrust to the spine's joints. This technique restores function and motion to the affected joints and vertebrae. Combined with other manual therapies, it can help break up painful or constricting scar tissue. Additionally, muscle release and activation therapies can aid in realignment, reduce imbalances, and restore the range of motion in the lower back.

While chiropractic care can rebalance your structure and address a leading cause of lower back pain, combining it with a regular Pilates routine provides postural support. Pilates strengthens and lengthens your core muscles, enhancing the healing benefits of chiropractic care and promoting overall alignment and stability.

How Effective is the Combination?

In a 2020 study that introduced a Pilates protocol to a group with low back pain and a group of healthy individuals, the results showed that the group with low back pain showed decreased discomfort and lower disability scores. Other benefits showed greater flexibility, and muscular intensity [ii] . Both Pilates and Chiropractic care also allows for posture awareness- when you become aware of how you are holding your body upright and correct any imbalances (think of the way we often slouch at a workstation) you can consciously correct those imbalances and alignment that can contribute to lower back pain.

Be ATOMIC!

At Atomic Pilates and Chiropractic, you will find an integrated approach to Pilates, Chiropractic, fitness, and wellness. Combining both Pilates and Chiropractic care offers the perfect package to help you understand what is happening to both your skeletal and muscular alignment. Our Bluffdale-based office is home to Dr. Ryan, a dedicated and skilled sports chiropractor along with a team of experienced Pilates instructors that will help empower you to leave our care with the tools to properly support your body, mind and wellbeing. Contact us at our Bluffdale office today!

References:

[i] Shmerling RH. Should you see a chiropractor for low back pain? Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/should-you-see-a-chiropractor-for-low-back-pain-2019073017412. Published August 16, 2019. Accessed February 20, 2025

[ii] Alves, Morgana Cardoso, et al. "Effects of a Pilates protocol in individuals with non-specific low back pain compared with healthy individuals: Clinical and electromyographic analysis." Clinical Biomechanics 72 (2020): 172-178.

Seven Ways to bring Nature into Your Healthcare Workplace

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:04:03 GMT

In the ever-evolving landscape of business and careers, one constant remains unshaken: healthcare professionals consistently face some of the highest stress levels known to any field. This indisputable truth raises a pressing question: amidst the relentless demands of the healthcare environment, how can we combat workplace stress effectively? Although people know many strategies to combat workplace stress, they often overlook one of the easiest and most readily available solutions- nature. But how do you bring the calming essence of nature into the hustle and bustle of the hospital environment?

How Nature Combats Stress

The “biophilia hypothesis” might sound like it’s a theory from a horror movie, but simply stated it’s the theory that humans have evolved from nature; therefore, they should have a natural relationship with nature. So, what happens when this natural relationship is broken? Scientists who created the biophilia hypothesis believe that the stressors and exhaustion from modern life deplete our capacity to direct attention to what is right in front of our eyes- nature. To combat this, if we can direct our attention to the innate world around us (aka the green grass, a flowing tree, a blooming bud) our parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to reduce stress because as the theory states, it is believed that humans are innately one with our natural world[i]. There is much evidence to show that nature-based interventions such as gardening and hiking effectively improve physical, cognitive, and mental outcomes in our health[ii].

But We Don’t Have a Forest at the Nurses Station!

For many healthcare workers our day begins in darkness, often reporting for our shifts before 7 a.m. Then, as darkness returns, we head home once again after putting in a 12-plus-hour shift. Food is eaten on the run, and bathroom breaks become a contest of seconds. Nursing units are sterile looking by nature, so how can healthcare workers bring all of the benefits of nature into the workplace to help with stress and well-being? It is time to get creative!

Bring plant life in: Plants are known to have air purifying capabilities as well as the aesthetics of the plant itself can decrease stress and improve the ability to concentrate[iii]. Great workplace plants include snake plants for their easy ability to care for as they only need low light and are pest-resistant. Another good choice is lavender, which is known for its calming aroma. Always be sure to check your workplace policies to make sure plants or flowers are allowed.

Make going outside on a break non-negotiable: E ven if it’s just five minutes. Taking some much-needed deep breaths outside can give you a burst of adrenaline no triple venti caramel with six shots of espresso will ever give you.

Bring the light to you: Position yourself when charting or doing desk work towards a window that either lets maximum light in or that has a view you find calming. If this is not possible consider a portable lamp that mimics sunlight. These are found relatively cheap on websites such as Amazon.

Fake it until you make it: Bring pictures of nature into your space. Studies have shown that even viewing stimuli such as photos, 3D images, virtual reality, or videos of natural landscapes still had the ability to relax the body[iv].

Bring an indoor garden to your breakroom : Create a garden basket in your breakroom where coworkers bring in their favorite fresh vegetables and fruit for easy grab-and-go. The aesthetics of seeing a bowl overflowing with fresh natural vegetables and fruits alone will put a smile on your face (and make your body feel good as well!)

· Start or end a shift with a mini nature retreat: Gather some of your coworkers a few times a week to either begin the day or end the shift outside. Set some time aside to simply wind down by taking a walk, perhaps sitting on a blanket, and sharing a meal. If beginning your day with the mini retreat, have each person in your group share their intention for the day. Intentions help cultivate a positive mindset and can help us navigate the day ahead. The fresh air plus companionship combined is an excellent way to decompress or gear up for what lies ahead both professionally and personally.

What is your healthcare organization doing to promote “biophilia”? Many hospitals now incorporate greenery into their lobbies, walking paths, and healing gardens. Perhaps starting a committee that explores the benefits of bringing nature into health spaces is a great starting point for creating a space that is healing not only for the patients but for the healthcare staff as well.

Adding Nature Can Be Simple and Fun

Incorporating a few natural additions to your hospital unit is a simple, yet effective way to bring a little calmness to your workday. Adding some light, a couple of air purifying plants, or a picture of your favorite tree can make the complexities of a healthcare worker’s day just a little brighter, foster happiness, and promote a sense of tranquility.

References:

[i] Jimenez MP, DeVille NV, Elliott EG, Schiff JE, Wilt GE, Hart JE, James P. Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(9):4790. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790

[ii] Nejade RM, Grace D, Bowman LR. What is the impact of nature on human health? A scoping review of the literature. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04099. Published 2022 Dec 16. doi:10.7189/jogh.12.04099

[iii] Charles Hall, Melinda Knuth; An Update of the Literature Supporting the Well-Being Benefits of Plants: A Review of the Emotional and Mental Health Benefits of Plants. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 1 March 2019; 37 (1): 30–38. doi: https://doi.org/10.24266/0738-2898-37.1.30

[iv] Jo H, Song C, Miyazaki Y. Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23):4739. Published 2019 Nov 27. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234739