Reimagine the rounding experience with a virtual rounding queue.

Q-rounds is a virtual queue that sends real-time notifications to patients, families, nurses, and other stakeholders of when to arrive for rounds and gives families the opportunity to join virtually if they can’t be there in person. This lets the care team plan their day more efficiently with personalized notifications and schedule visibility via the EHR, while empowering patients and their families with Time Transparency™, so everyone can plan their day around rounds.

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197
%
Increase in family presence aND INVOLVEMENT DURING rounds
215
%
increase in nurse presence for the entirety of rounds
38
%
Reduction in harmful errors when nurse is present for rounds
1 – 2 – 3

Q-rounds solves one of the biggest challenges in healthcare by taking the waiting around out of rounds.

Step 1

Build the Queue

Q-rounds pulls patient lists from the EHR, and with a combination of AI and the provider’s own decision making, patients are marked as high priority or ready for discharge. This creates a rounding schedule that prioritizes efficiency and patient care.

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Step 2

Share the Queue

Q-rounds shares the rounding schedule with everyone who needs to be present for rounds, with real-time updates if their place in the Queue changes. Families receive a text message; nurses are notified in the EHR and on their communication devices.

Step 3

Arrive at Rounds Together

Having everyone present for rounds, including nurses, interpreters, and families, leads to improved patient advocacy, effective communication, higher levels of confidence in the care team, and satisfaction with the care provided.

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White Paper

The Impact of Q-roundsTM in Hospital Systems

Unlock revenue potential and cost savings by reimagining the rounding experience with a virtual rounding queue.

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Waiting around for rounds costs more than just time.

Increased Costs
from inefficient use of time spent tracking down families and nurses
Increased Costs
from medical errors, due to
gaps in communication
Lost Revenue
from negative patient experience, affecting payer reimbursements
Lost Revenue
from inefficient bed turnover
on the day of discharge
This solution is remarkable! Nurses and families all loved it and it was pretty seamless for the medical team. You are not allowed to turn this off after the pilot!"
V.P. OF PATIENT SAFETY AND Q-ROUNDS USER
Features

Innovative features that engage and inform at every step

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Evidence based, research backed

Resources

This blog article summarizes a study co-authored by Q-rounds cofounder and CEO Michael Pitt, MD, and Marissa Hendrickson, MD.

Healthcare professionals know the importance of effective provider-patient communication, which is why many of them would be surprised to learn how often they default to using jargon—and the confusion it causes patients.

Jargon-oblivion—a term coined by Q-rounds co-founder and CEO, Mike Pitt, MD and his colleague Dr. Hendrickson—describes the discrepancy between physicians’ self-rated skill in clear communication and their patients’ ability to understand the terms being used. 

We’ve compiled the seven most common types of jargon-oblivion to help providers determine what types of jargon may be present in their patient interactions.

Type 1: Technical terminology

This is what most people think of when they define medical jargon. These words were likely learned in medical school including disease names, symptoms, anatomy, procedures, treatments and laboratory tests. In many cases, providers may not have known these words before their own medical training.

Type 2: Alphabet soup

Acronyms and abbreviations are a sub-category of technical terminology. While qualifying an abbreviation with the full term may seem helpful, it often generates further confusion. Saying “You had an MI—a myocardial infarction” is still less clear than telling someone, “You had a heart attack.” 

Type 3: Medical vernacular

These words may be familiar to people, but are not universally known or understood. Words like febrile for having a fever, or sepsis for life-threatening infection, may be something many people have heard frequently in medical TV shows, but that doesn’t guarantee people will understand its importance or significance.

Type  4: Medicalized English

These words or phrases may be known, but have a different meaning in the context of medicine with many things meaning the opposite in medicine as they do in regular use. Negative test results are usually a good thing, meaning the patient doesn’t have the condition they were tested for, but negative in everyday usage is thought of as a bad thing, such as negative restaurant reviews. This accidental antonym—a word opposite in meaning to another—has been shown to confuse patients.

Type 5: Unnecessary synonyms 

Medical synonyms are often used to replace simple, universally understood terms, such as upper extremities instead of arms or erythema instead of red. 

Type 6: Euphemisms

These words are attempts to soften language providers may find difficult to say, but which provide less clarity. Doctors may say a “spot on the X-ray” or avoid using the words death or dying directly, choosing euphemisms instead. 

Type 7: Judgemental jargon

These phrases may reflect bias or appear derogatory, despite there being no such intent. Examples include describing the primary concern a patient has as their chief complaint, which is taught in medical school and included in many medical note templates, but this is often interpreted by patients as their doctor describing them as complaining.  

Rounding it up

Identifying and minimizing jargon-oblivion is a relatively easy way for providers to improve their ability to communicate with patients in ways that they find meaningful to provide safe, effective, patient-centered care. Because if patients can’t understand the meaning of what providers are saying, their efforts to communicate become meaningless.

Q-rounds helps address jargon-oblivion by making multidisciplinary family-centered rounds possible. Having care teams, the patient and their family present makes it easier to recognize when confusion occurs so clarifying comments or further explanation can be given.

Interested in learning more? Read the full study or see how Q-rounds can help.

Q-rounds, our virtual rounding queue app, gives healthcare professionals real-time access to daily rounding schedules, enabling them to plan their activities more effectively and deliver timely care to patients. This rounding coordination allows HCOs to maximize efficiency and elevate patient outcomes.

Aligning staff schedules for optimal performance 

Knowing daily rounding schedules plays a pivotal role in streamlining workflows and optimizing staff performance. Ensuring the right healthcare professionals are present when and where they’re needed most. This strategic approach minimizes staff downtime and optimizes productivity so healthcare professionals can provide seamless patient care.

Q-rounds goes a step further, sending real-time notifications to nurses, interpreters,  patients and families of when to arrive for rounds. Armed with this knowledge, providers, nurses and other care team members can plan their tasks and prioritize patient rounds. This means they spend less time waiting around for rounding assignments and more time delivering critical care to patients.

Maximizing resource allocation

Resource allocation is a constant balancing act in the healthcare setting. With daily rounding schedules, HCOs gain valuable insights into patient demand, allowing them to strategically allocate resources. Knowing the expected number of patients and round duration during specific rounds ensures that enough healthcare professionals are available to provide timely and comprehensive care. 

Q-rounds can help HCOs adapt on the fly, allowing administrators to quickly adjust staffing assignments if there’s a sudden surge in patient admissions. This agility minimizes bottlenecks, ensuring a smoother patient care experience.

Reducing patient waiting times

Prompt and timely care is an important aspect of patient satisfaction. Daily rounding schedules enable healthcare professionals to plan their rounds efficiently, minimizing patient waiting times or delays. This proactive approach to patient care shows patients their time is valued, reinforcing a patient-centered culture within the hospital. 

Q-rounds acts as a reliable guide, giving providers and care teams real-time updates on rounding schedules. Knowing when they’ll be needed allows healthcare professionals to be more responsible and deliver care more promptly. This results in patients experiencing reduced waiting times and feeling more at ease during their hospital stay.

Creating smoother workflows for patient care

Smooth workflows are the signature of a high-functioning healthcare organization. Daily rounding schedules create a structured framework for patient care, ensuring no patient is overlooked or neglected during the rounding process. When providers are aware of the timing and sequence of rounds, they can seamlessly transition from one patient to another, minimizing disruptions and maintaining a steady flow of care.

Q-rounds provides healthcare professionals a digital platform to access rounding schedules. Our app organizes rounding assignments, centralizes communication and eliminates the need for manual tracking, streamlining the process. This integration of technology into daily rounding schedules fosters a more efficient and patient-focused approach to care.

Rounding it up

Efficiency is the key to delivering exceptional healthcare experiences and achieving positive patient outcomes. Daily rounding schedules can align staff schedules for optimal performance, maximize resource allocation, reduce patient waiting times and create smoother workflows for patient care. 

Q-rounds plays a fundamental role in enhancing rounding coordination by providing real-time access to daily rounding schedules in addition to sending notifications to care teams, families and patients when to arrive at rounds, getting everyone present in the room.

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, efficiency and seamless coordination are paramount to providing high-quality patient care. Daily rounding schedules have emerged as a powerful tool healthcare organizations (HCOs) can use to optimize their operations and elevate patient experiences. 

Together, we’ll explore the benefits of knowing daily rounding schedules, delving into how they improve efficiency, care team communication and collaboration, patient care and satisfaction, resource allocation, data analysis, and overall compliance. We’ll also examine how our virtual rounding queue app, Q-rounds, empowers healthcare teams to harness the full potential of daily rounding schedules, further enhancing patient-centered care and organizational success.

Improved efficiency: Streamlining workflows for optimal performance

Efficiency lies at the core of exceptional healthcare delivery. Knowing daily rounding schedules allows HCOs to align staff schedules with patient needs, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity

With Q-rounds, healthcare professionals can access real-time rounding schedules, enabling them to plan their activities accordingly and have a real-time answer to the most common questions patients ask their nurse, “When will the doctor be here?” By strategically prioritizing rounding times, HCOs can optimize staff deployment and resource allocation, resulting in reduced waiting times for patients and smoother patient care workflows.

Enhanced communication and coordination: Uniting care teams for better outcomes

In a collaborative healthcare environment, effective communication is vital to ensure seamless patient care. Daily rounding schedules serve as a unifying thread, bringing care teams together at specific times to discuss patient progress, treatment plans, and any potential challenges. 

Q-rounds empowers care teams by providing them with real-time rounding schedules, ensuring all team members are present and informed during patient rounds. This enhanced coordination fosters clearer communication, empowers interdisciplinary collaboration and results in more comprehensive and patient-centered care.

Streamlined patient care: Elevating outcomes and safety

Streamlined and coordinated patient care is essential for delivering positive health outcomes. Daily rounding schedules enable HCOs to implement standardized care practices, reducing variations in care and medical errors. 

Q-rounds sends real-time notifications about rounding times to nurses and providers, ensuring patients receive timely and consistent care. This streamlined approach not only improves outcomes, it enhances patient safety and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Increased patient satisfaction: Cultivating a positive healthcare experience

Patient satisfaction is an integral measure of a healthcare organization's success. Efficient and well-coordinated daily rounding schedules contribute significantly to a positive patient experience. Knowing when to expect the care team instills confidence in patients, making them feel valued and heard. 

Q-rounds ensures patients are informed of rounding schedules, and gives them the opportunity to join rounds remotely if they can’t be there in person, empowering them to actively participate in their care and fostering a sense of partnership with their healthcare providers. The result is higher patient satisfaction rates and improved patient retention for HCOs.

Better resource allocation: Strategically managing staff and assets

Resource allocation is a critical aspect of effective healthcare management. Daily rounding schedules play a crucial role in ensuring the right staff members are available at the right times to deliver care effectively. 

Q-rounds facilitates strategic resource allocation by providing real-time data on rounding schedules, enabling HCOs to optimize staffing levels and manage resources efficiently. By aligning staffing needs with patient demand, HCOs can improve cost-effectiveness, reduce staffing inefficiencies, and deliver timely and personalized care.

Data collection and analysis: Informed decision-making for continuous improvement

Data-driven insights are invaluable in the quest for continuous improvement in healthcare. Daily rounding schedules serve as a structured framework for data collection, allowing HCOs to gather essential information during patient interactions.

Q-rounds allows healthcare teams to capture valuable data points related to patient care, treatment progress and patient feedback. These insights enable HCOs to analyze trends, identify areas for improvement and implement evidence-based practices, driving organizational growth and delivering better patient outcomes.

Enhanced team collaboration: Fostering unity and cohesion

A cohesive and supportive care team is the backbone of successful healthcare delivery. Clear and predictable daily rounding schedules enhance team collaboration by promoting active participation during rounds. 

Q-rounds facilitates better care team collaboration by ensuring all members are informed and prepared for patient interactions. This sense of unity and cohesion boosts team morale, fosters a positive work culture and translates into improved patient care and satisfaction.

Compliance and accountability: Upholding the highest standards

Adherence to healthcare protocols and standards is essential for ensuring patient safety and quality of care. Daily rounding schedules play a vital role in maintaining compliance by ensuring timely patient check-ins and monitoring. 

Q-rounds empowers HCOs to promote accountability among care teams, ensuring they adhere to established protocols and meet patient care requirements. This commitment to compliance safeguards patient well-being and upholds the highest standards of healthcare delivery.

Rounding it up

The benefits of knowing daily rounding schedules extend well beyond mere scheduling conveniences. Healthcare organizations stand to gain improved efficiency, care team communication and collaboration, patient care and satisfaction, resource allocation, data analysis, and overall compliance. 

Q-rounds takes these advantages to the next level, providing real-time rounding schedules and notifications of when to arrive for rounds, facilitating team coordination and empowering both healthcare providers and patients alike. 

Embracing this technology ensures a patient-centered approach, elevating the overall healthcare experience and fortifying the foundation of successful healthcare organizations.

The Power of Presence is an interview series that explores the experiences of physicians, nurses and families who have used Q-rounds; they are not compensated for sharing their stories, and responses have been edited for length and clarity. 

Johannah Scheurer, M.D., is a Neonatologist at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital who has used Q-rounds for six months.

Having a child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be the most difficult time in a family’s life. And doing the hard work of supporting them through this experience is why Johannah Scheurer, M.D., got into medicine. To be with families during their  NICU journey before sending them home and out into the world to become amazing toddlers and kids.

“Q-rounds ability to enhance how providers connect with patients and their families is important for physicians’ ongoing wellbeing, because having more meaningful interactions reinforces why we all went into medicine in the first place.”

Is it easy to use Q-rounds?

It was very intuitive—if you can use any given app, Q-rounds is easy to use, and you can do so on a phone, tablet or desktop. A colleague was initially concerned, but on his second day of Q-rounds he told me, ‘I see why this makes sense, and it was as easy as I was told it would be.’  

Does Q-rounds add value to rounds?

When I’m at the bedside with a patient and their family outside of rounds, we can have follow-up conversations and already be on the same page. And sometimes on weekends, when my shift is just two days, I’ve gone from connecting with no families to seeing seven more families than I would have without Q-rounds. The difference between zero and seven in a two-day span is very meaningful.

91% of families that attend daily rounds have a higher level of confidence in the care team.* 

Does Q-rounds improve care team communication?

Yes—I’m better able to share my plans for the day with the rest of my team. Not just with the nurses and families who are getting the notifications about rounds, but also the advanced practice providers,  and doctors in training who are an integral part of rounds. It gives the team more control and knowledge of the schedule—it’s like they can see what’s in my brain.

Has Q-rounds improved your interactions with families?

I’m able to more directly communicate with a higher number of families because of Q-rounds, both because they’re able to better plan their time when they’re in the hospital and come to rounds, and because it’s more easily accessible to be part of rounds via teleconference. And the sense families used to sometimes bring to rounds when joining sporadically—of needing to get all their questions in when they could—has decreased with having their presence on rounds more accessible on a daily basis.

What do families say about Q-rounds?

Families lack a lot of control over what goes on in the NICU—that’s the nature of a baby needing all this medical support and care. Q-rounds is one small thing we’ve been able to do to help them have control over something. Interestingly, when they transition out of the higher acuity NICU—which is a good thing—they go to a part of the neonatal unit that doesn’t use Q-rounds, and they’ve asked ‘Why don’t we have Q-rounds in this area?’

“Working in a Level 4 NICU where patients are very sick, historically led to an emphasis on connecting with a smaller number of families of the most ill patients. Using Q-rounds has improved patient care because more families are part of rounds in person or via teleconference, and I’ve been able to increase and enhance the connections I’m able to make with more families.”

Has Q-rounds had an impact on patient care?

I truly believe Q-rounds has helped patient care, mainly in terms of having a cohesive care plan. Nurses are more frequently part of rounds, dramatically reducing the amount of time they might have missed for their patient and allowing them to provide input in the moment. Because it’s not just about agreeing to the same care plan—having all members of the care team having the same understanding of why the plan is what it is, is very beneficial for patient care. 

Research has shown Q-rounds increased nurse presence for the entirety of rounds by 215%.*

How has Q-rounds personally impacted your work?

Sometimes it feels like we’re asked to add technologies that can take away from the things we providers find meaning in both in and outside of work. Q-rounds ability to enhance how providers connect with patients and their families is important for physicians’ ongoing wellbeing, because having more meaningful interactions reinforces why we all went into medicine in the first place. I love helping babies’ families through the NICU and engaging the whole care team in that effort. 

Rounding it up

Technology in healthcare is frequently used to replace tasks dependent on human interaction. Q-rounds proudly provides an unique alternative with an app whose purpose is creating more meaningful interactions for physicians with their patients, families and partners on the care team.

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*Q-rounds: Data on file, 2023.