Compassionate connected care improves safety, quality and experience

The compassionate connected care model, detailed in the June issue of Nurse Leader, is an action framework aimed at reducing suffering and improving patient experiences of care. Christina Dempsey, DNP, RN, an AONL board member and CNO and president of clinical excellence solutions at Press Ganey Associates, urged health care providers to use the model, which looks beyond low-scoring experience measurements such as food and parking ratings. Data show these factors do not drive quality of care or patient confidence in providers. The model focuses instead on six themes, among them the need for caregivers to acknowledge suffering, recognize anxiety as suffering, support patient autonomy and practice coordinated care. These themes, Dempsey explained, resonate with health care workers who want to practice patient-centeredness and address factors such as anxiety that undermine patient experience, clinical quality, safety and engagement.