Open Family Presence Adoption: Role of Patient and Family Advisors.

The philosophy of patient- and family-centred care is widely being adopted in Canada. Critical to this philosophy is the engagement of patients and families as full partners in healthcare. Saskatchewan has successfully adopted a provincial policy that eliminates restrictive visiting hours in hospitals and other healthcare facilities that support partnership with patients and families. This article explains the key role that patient and family advisors played in identifying the need for change and co-creating the implemented Open Family Presence Policy in Saskatchewan. The article outlines the system model, method and audit process that supported the policy implementation.