Effective communication between families and members of their child’s healthcare team is at the heart of family-centered care and is the goal of everyone at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). When you share information and observations about your child and learn about your child’s treatments, medications and procedures, you help to create a partnership with the healthcare team that keeps your child safe and advances their health.
To encourage open, transparent communication, we have collaborated with families on our Family Advisory Council to create communication tools and offer tips to help you communicate with your child's healthcare providers.
Navigating Diagnosis with Your Child’s Healthcare Team
Finding an explanation for your child’s health needs is a team effort. Learn how to be a partner with your child’s health care team.
Patient Safety: Tips for Families
CHOP is committed to patient safety and keeping every child safe, every day. Excellent communication between staff and families helps us reach that goal, and this guide can help parents become partners in their child’s care.
Questions About Your Child's Medication
Medication safety is very important. Medicine can help your child get well or control a condition. But it can also harm your child if it is not given correctly. Asking these questions will help you partner with your child’s healthcare team so your child is given medication safely.
Phone Tips for Families
Frequently, important information is exchanged with your child’s healthcare team over the phone — whether it is to make an appointment, get information or report a change in your child’s status. These tips provide best practices for communicating on the phone.
Tips for Participating in Rounds
When your child is an inpatient at CHOP, every day the healthcare team will visit their room as a group to discuss their current status and the plan of care. These visits are called rounds, and you are encouraged to participate. This guide tells you what to expect and how to most effectively partner with healthcare providers during this important time of information exchange.
Tips for Building Partnerships Through Collaboration
As we create and improve programs and policies, you may be asked to share your experiences and provide feedback. These tips will help you evaluate and respond to opportunities to contribute to family-centered care.