Evaluating Schwartz Center Rounds® in an urban hospital center

Abstract

Purpose – Schwartz Center Rounds® (SCRs) bring multidisciplinary caregivers together to discuss authentic patient cases from the social and emotional perspective. The monthly sessions provide a forum to share personal thoughts and feelings. The purpose of this paper is to learn why people attend SCR, understand what is gained from the experience, and identify key elements to use in measuring the program’s effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative descriptive study used four focus groups and three telephone interviews for data collection. Purposive sampling resulted in a multidisciplinary sample of 30 participants. Thematic analysis was conducted with complete transcripts by all researchers. Findings – All parties viewed SCR as beneficial. Six themes emerged during data analysis: culture change, exposing emotions, walking in another’s shoes, inequality of topics, influence of rules and boundaries, and personal impact. Institutional culture was positively influenced through SCR. Research limitations/implications – Limitations include a single institution and restricted data gathered from physicians. Future research should focus on identifying outcome measures to evaluate the long-term impact of SCR on healthcare organizations. Practical implications – This study confirms that the SCR program should be continued at the study organization, and expanded to increase availability to all staff. The growth of this program in healthcare organizations across the country is encouraged. Originality/value – This research provides support for healthcare organizations to offer SCR and highlights how the emotional aspects of patient care can be acknowledged, explored, and discussed.