A voluntary program let by Utah-based non-profit Intermountain Healthcare allows family members of hospitalized patients to participate in their care to help them heal faster and reduce readmission rates. Intermountain's Partners in Healing program provides opportunities for family members to help with basic care for their loved ones, which also helps to prepare them for taking over care when the patient goes home. The program also allows the patient and family member more control over when they perform the care activities rather than following a schedule when the nurse or patient care tech are available. Partners in Healing is the first program in the field that shows drafting families as clinical care partners during hospitalization may reduce readmission. In a study of the program, researchers compared adult heart surgery patients at Intermountain Medical Center whose families participated in the program with those whose relatives did not. The 30-day readmission rate was 65% lower for patients whose families participated in Partners in Healing.
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