Medical Staff

How to use patient whiteboards

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, May 4, 2010

Patient whiteboards can improve communication among the healthcare team, providers, and patients, according to a new study, “Patient whiteboards as a communication tool in the hospital setting: A survey of practices and recommendations,” published in the April issue of Journal of Hospital Medicine. 

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed 104 nurses, 118 internal medicine housestaff, and 31 hospitalists. Although there were differences in what should be the priority of information on the whiteboard, most respondents agreed on the importance of using whiteboards as a communication tool.

Based on their findings, researchers recommend the following:

  • Install whiteboards so that patients can see them from their bed
  • Buy and fasten erasable pens to the whiteboards (missing pens were one of the biggest barriers to effective use)
  • Create whiteboard templates to include the following:
    • Day and date
    • Patient’s name
    • Bedside nurse name
    • Primary physician, attending, resident, and/or intern
    • Goal of the day, as determined with patient
    • Anticipated discharge date
    • Family contact phone number
    • Questions for providers
  • Create an audit system of the whiteboard usage during the rollout process
  • Assign the bedside nurses the responsibility of writing on and updating the whiteboard
     

Most Popular

Related Articles