Hospitals across the country are joining a movement toward introducing 24/7 visiting hours, based on evidence suggesting the presence of family is good for a patient's recovery.
Three provinces and more than 50 healthcare organizations have already joined the Better Together campaign calling for more inclusive family-presence policies at hospitals, organizers at the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement say.
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Allowing family members to spend more time with a patient leads to fewer medication errors, fewer falls, better-informed medical assessments, shorter hospital stays and more effective healthcare planning, the CFHI said in a statement released Tuesday.
That means whether it's an extra set of ears listening in on medication instructions, or an extra set of hands there to catch a patient when they fall, having a loved one nearby makes for an easier road to recovery, the CFHI study found.
"Overall this is really good for the patient, the family member and it's also really good for the healthcare system," Stephen Samis, vice-president of programs at CFHI, told CTV News Channel on Tuesday. He added that designated family members can be extremely helpful advocates for the patient, especially when direct communication is difficult.
"They are the ears and the voice and the eyes of the patient when the patient is at their most vulnerable point."
CFHI senior director Maria Judd says a 24/7 visitation program in an effective way to "welcome patients and family as partners in care."
Judd acknowledged there are potential security risks with more foot traffic at participating hospitals, but additional measures have been put in place to keep everyone safe. She says many hospitals use a single entrance and a patient-approved sign-in list for after-hours visitors. Some have even installed extra security cameras.
There has been no need to schedule additional staff for late-night shifts, Judd said. "It absolutely works within the existing staffing arrangements," she told CTVNews.ca, in a phone interview on Tuesday.
She also addressed potential conflicts that might arise with a 24/7 visitation policy, such as a loud visitor in a shared hospital room.
"Sometimes there is a need to have a conversation (with loud visitors)," she said, adding: "Common sense prevails."
Province-wide health authorities in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have already signed on to implementing 24/7 visiting hours for family, as have dozens of hospitals and health networks in every other province in Canada.
The CFHI says it's received overwhelmingly positive feedback from hospitals involved with the initiative, as well as strong support from health-care workers.
"The nursing leadership is really behind this across the country," Judd said.
And despite the increased visitor traffic at hospitals employing the policy, infection rates have not gone up, Judd says.
Judd hopes to see 24/7 visitor policies implemented Canada-wide, but the CFHI needs support from families and patients to make it happen.
