• Maya Yakir, Adi Brom, Amitai Segev, and Gad Segal.
• Department of Internal Medicine T, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
• Isr Med Assoc J. 2023 Jan 1; 25 (1): 475147-51.

BackgroundThe prognosis of long-term clinical outcomes for each patient is of utmost importance.ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between rates of family attendance during rounds and long-term outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a historic cohort study.ResultsWe followed 200 consecutive patients for a median of 19 months. Within the group of patients that had family members present in > 75% of rounds, the 30-day re-hospitalization rate was tenfold higher (P = 0.017). The overall prognosis (including median survival length) of patients who had the highest rates of family attendance (> 75%) was significantly worse compared to patients who had lower rates (P = 0.028). High rates of family attendance were found to correlate with other established risk factors for long-term mortality, including advanced age (r = 0.231, P = 0.001) and in-hospital delirium.ConclusionsHigh family attendance during physician rounds in an internal medicine department is associated with worse patient prognosis.

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