Three Tips for Communicating with Patients’ Families

Family members of patients in perioperative settings should be included during key moments of communication, such as teaching moments (e.g., preoperative discussions, discharge instructions) and data collection (e.g., taking surgical and medical history, discussing medications and allergies). Family may be the primary caregivers for the patient and can be an additional source of information.

Communicating with families may feel like a challenge at times. Culture, language, age, bias, and environment are some of the barriers to communicating effectively. Here are three tips to implement when communicating with family.

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