We have updated our Birchmount Hospital phone lines. When you call through the main line (416-495-2400), you will need to add “7” when dialing an extension.

Patient and Family Centred Care

Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) is a philosophy that embraces health-care professionals working together with patients and their families to plan, deliver, evaluate and improve health care.

At Scarborough Health Network, we are committed to PFCC and building its principles into everything we do. Patient and Family Centred Care defines what a quality care experience should feel like at our hospital.

Four Pillars of Patient and Family Centered Care

The Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care is internationally renowned as a leader in the understanding of PFCC. Here are the Institute’s core concepts for PFCC:

  1. Respect and Dignity: Patients and families’ perspectives and choices, knowledge, values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds are listened to and incorporated in the care plan by the health-care team.
  2. Information Sharing: The health-care team communicates and shares timely and complete information with patients and families.
  3. Participation: Patients and families are encouraged and supported in participating in care and decision-making.
  4. Collaboration: Patients and families collaborate with health-care leaders in policy, program design and evaluation

What PFCC means for patients and families

  • A feeling that their care has been individualized for them, and considers their backgrounds and lifestyles
  • Active involvement in their care and planning for their transition from the hospital
  • The opportunity to play an important role as a Patient and Family Advisor, and provide input on hospital planning
  • The desired outcome of a quality patient experience

Patient and Family Advisors

One of the keys to our PFCC philosophy is the involvement of Patient and Family Advisors (PFAs). These volunteer advisors have either been a patient with us, or the family member of a patient. They use their experiences at our hospital to help us to develop and promote hospital policies, programs and practices that directly impact patient care and services.