187 - Evaluating the Sustained Impact of a Virtual Rounding Queue Software on Family-Centered Rounding

Publication Number: 4184.187

Jenna Fleming, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Michael B. pitt, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Scott Lunos, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Mariam F. Hassan, University of Minnesota, Lakeville, MN, United States; John Sartori, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Rubina Rizvi, University of Illinois, Lakeville, MN, United States; Johannah M. Scheurer, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Alexis Quade, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States

Background: Family-centered rounds (FCR) improve communication, safety, and satisfaction in inpatient pediatrics. Despite its benefits, professional endorsements, and broad stakeholder support, efforts to broadly implement FCR have fallen short. A pilot study using a novel virtual rounding software tool, Q-rounds™, demonstrated improved family and nurse participation without prolonging rounds. Since the pilot study, use of the software at our institution has expanded. We hypothesized observing positive effects on family and nursing engagement across both time and setting, without prolonging rounding time.

Objective: This study had two main objectives. The first was to assess the durability of improvements observed after pilot study implementation. The second was to assess the software's performance across variable rounding settings and workflows (i.e., table-rounding and walk-rounding).

Design/Methods: This observational study was performed two years after Q-rounds™ implementation in a 68-bed Level IV NICU, between February and April of 2025. Rounding encounters were observed for a table-rounding team and a walk-rounding team. Data was collected on nurse and family presence, mode of attendance, and rounding duration. Longitudinal comparisons were made using subsets of previously published pre- and post-implementation data. Comparisons were made using Chi-square tests (categorical variables) and two-group t-tests (continuous variables), with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: After implementation, family presence during rounds for the paired table-rounding cohorts increased from 18% to 47% and remained elevated at 54% at two years (P < 0.001) - largely driven by virtual participation (Table 1). Nurse presence for the entirety of rounds increased from 12% to 57% and remained high at 55% at two years (P < 0.001). Rounding duration before and after implementation was similar. As depicted in Table 2, the two cohorts (varying in team structure, patient acuity, and rounding style) demonstrated similar overall family presence (58% vs 54%, P = 0.39), but the walk-rounding team demonstrated higher in-person family attendance (51% vs 32%, P = 0.007), and a higher proportion of nurses present for all of rounds (81% vs 55%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion(s): A virtual rounding queue software produced sustained improvements in family and nurse engagement without prolonging rounds with positive results in two distinct rounding contexts. By accommodating the dynamic nature of rounds, this technology shows promise where prior efforts in FCR implementation have fallen short.

Table 1. Observational data for paired table-rounding cohorts
†Chi-square test for categorical variables. Two-group t-test for continuous variables. P<0.05 considered statistically significant.

Table 2. Observational data comparing rounding modalities
†Chi-square test for categorical variables. Two-group t-test for continuous variables. P<0.05 considered statistically significant.