Family contributions to medical charting: A key to satisfaction 

Patient and parental documentation in the medical chart results in significant participation, inclusion, empowerment and satisfaction with the care provided during a child’s hospitalization. 

This is the finding of a study conducted by the General Surgery and B8 Unit teams at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, involving 29 children admitted for perforated appendicitis and their families. The results were showcased last May during a poster presentation at the European Paediatric Surgeons’ Association congress. 

This is the first pediatric surgical study investigating the effects of patient and parental documentation in the medical chart. 

After informed consent, parents and children older than 12 years were invited to submit notes to the medical chart detailing their concerns, expectations and progress, to be included in daily patient assessment by nurses and surgeons. Surveys at discharge assessed the family’s experience with this practice. 

Four main themes emerged:  

1. Perceptions of changes in physical symptoms 
2. Emotions surrounding hospitalization and surgery 
3. Perceptions of care and treatments received 
4. Return to functional baseline as a sign of recovery  

In discharge surveys, all parents and patients endorsed the practice as contributing to a positive hospitalization experience, with most parents (90 per cent) and all children recommending it for future admissions and for other families. 

Congratulations to the entire team on this achievement!