Electronic Health Record Practices to Improve Patient and Family Engagement

A digital tablet with brain scans on the screen

EHR practices that include family caregivers are vital to quality care. Providers need quick access to caregiver contact details, assessment status, and standardized identifiers to support family caregivers throughout the patient’s health journey.

Explore Key Practices

This publication highlights practical strategies to enhance patient and family engagement. Learn more about how to:

Record caregiver identity and contact: Ensure family caregivers are documented in the EHR to support care transitions.
Document training provided: Track what family caregivers have been taught to guide follow-up and support.
Enable access to discharge plans: Enable family caregivers to view instructions through patient portals.
Use alerts and flags: Use alerts to inform staff of family caregiver limitations or support requirements.

Explore the full publication to understand the supporting evidence and learn how to implement each approach effectively in your care setting.

Find all the publications in AARP’s Promising Practices Publication Series for Health Care Leaders.

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