The Impact of Hospital Visiting Hour Policies on Pediatric and Adult Patients and Families

Abstract

Review Question/Objectives: The overall objective is to examine the impact of hospital visiting hour policies on pediatric and adult patients and families. The specific review questions to be addressed are: • What is the physiological, psychological, or emotional impact of hospital visiting hour policies on pediatric and adult patients. • What is the physiological, psychological, or emotional impact of hospital visiting hour policies on pediatric and adult visitors of either pediatric and/or adult patients. Inclusion criteria: Types of participants: This component of the review will consider studies that include both pediatric and adult hospital patients and/or their families. Participants can be patients or visitors in the following settings: general medical/surgical units, critical care (ICU, NICU), chronic care, pediatrics, maternity, labour and delivery. Articles will be excluded if participants came from the following settings: post-operative care, post anaesthesia care unit, dementia wards, long term care settings, studies focused on presence only during emergency procedures or resuscitation. Types of interventions: Studies will be considered for inclusion in this review if they evaluate the effect of visiting policies. This includes interventions targeted at limiting or expanding patient visiting. Types of outcome measures: For this review, outcome measures related to both patients and families as a result of visiting hour policies will be considered, including, but not limited to: patient and/or visitor satisfaction, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, mood, or patient physiological outcomes. These could also include health care provider beliefs and perceptions about effects on patients and/or families.