Family Meeting Documentation Template: Aligning the Care Team
Introduction: The Conference of Care
Family meetings are pivotal moments in a patient's journey, often occurring at points of transition or crisis. A well-documented Family Meeting Note ensures that the decisions reached during these emotional summits are respected, acted upon, and legally recorded.
Why Documentation is Essential
Without a record, meetings are just conversations. Documentation provides:
- Continuity: The night shift nurse needs to know what was decided at 10 AM regarding the patient's DNR status.
- Conflict Resolution: Provides an objective record of family disagreements or consensus, protecting the team from "he-said-she-said" disputes.
- Discharge Planning: Explicitly lists the action items (e.g., "Family to tour nursing homes by Tuesday") to keep discharge on track.
- Billing: Physicians can often bill for prolonged time spent in care coordination (CPT 99205/99215 based on time) if documented correctly.
Key Components of a Family Meeting Note
To be effective, the note must include:
- Participants: Full list of staff and family names/roles.
- Agenda/Purpose: Why did we meet? (e.g., "To discuss placement options").
- Medical Update Provided: Summary of what the doctor told the family (prognosis, options).
- Family Values/Input: What the family expressed about the patient's wishes.
- Decisions/Plan: The concrete "next steps" agreed upon.
Complete Family Meeting Template
FAMILY MEETING / INTERDISCIPLINARY CARE CONFERENCE
Date/Time: [Date] | Location: 4 West Conference Room
Patient: [Name] | MRN: [Number]
1. Attendees:
* Medical Team: Dr. Smith (Attending), Nurse Joy (RN), Sarah Lee (Social Work), Chaplain Ray.
* Family: Mrs. Doe (Wife), John Jr. (Son), Alice (Daughter - via phone).
2. Purpose of Meeting:
To discuss poor prognosis following recent stroke and determine goals of care regarding feeding tube placement vs. hospice.
3. Medical Update Summary:
Dr. Smith explained that MRI shows extensive damage. Patient has failed swallow evaluation x3. Explained that PEG tube does not prevent aspiration pneumonia in advanced dementia and may not improve quality of life.
4. Family Values & Discussion:
* Wife expressed that patient "loved food" and would hate being fed by a tube.
* Son was initially hesitant, asking if "starving him" is painful.
* Team assured family that hunger drive diminishes and comfort meds would be provided.
* Daughter agreed that Dad would never want to live in a nursing home on machines.
5. Decisions Reached:
* Family consensus is to DECLINE PEG tube.
* Goal of care changed to Comfort Measures Only.
* Plan for discharge to Home Hospice.
6. Action Items/Plan:
* SW: Will arrange hospice agency referrals today.
* MD: Will enter DNR/DNI orders immediately.
* RN: Will teach family mouth care and comfort positioning.
7. Understanding:
Family verbalized understanding of the terminal nature of the condition and the plan for symptom management. All questions answered.
Signature: _________________________
[Provider Name/Title]Automating Collaboration with HealOS
Focus on the family, not your notebook. HealOS AI agents capture the details for you:
- AI Medical Scribe: Records and transcribes the multi-speaker meeting, distinguishing between "Doctor," "Spouse," and "Nurse" to create an accurate transcript of who said what.
- Clinical Documentation Agent: Summarizes the hours-long meeting into a concise, formatted "Family Meeting Note" ready for the chart.
- EHR Interoperability Agent: Instantly routes the action items (e.g., "Referral to Hospice") to the Social Work and Case Management task lists within the EHR.
Automated Workflow Diagram (Mermaid)
graph TD
A[Meeting Scheduled] --> B[HealOS Scribe Activated in Room];
B --> C[Meeting Conducted & Audio Captured];
C --> D[HealOS Transcribes & Identify Speakers];
D --> E[HealOS Extracts Decisions & Action Items];
E --> F[Formal Note Drafted for Physician Review];
F --> G[Note Signed & Filed in EHR];
G --> H[Tasks Sent to SW/Case Management];Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why document family meetings?
To ensure all care team members (nurses, specialists, social workers) are on the same page regarding the plan of care and to provide a legal record of informed consent.
Q: Who should be listed as attendees?
Everyone present: The patient (if able), family members (with relationships), advocates, and all medical staff (names and roles).
Q: What if there is conflict?
Document it objectively. E.g., 'Daughter A agrees with hospice, Son B wishes to continue dialysis.' Do not add personal opinions about the family dynamics.
Q: Should I quote family members directly?
Direct quotes are powerful for capturing values (e.g., 'Mom never wanted to live like a vegetable') but avoid inflammatory quotes unless necessary for legal context.
Q: How detailed should the medical summary be?
Keep it high-level. The purpose of this note is to document the *communication* about the condition, not to serve as a daily progress note.
Q: What is 'Teach-back'?
Asking the family to explain back what they understood. Documenting 'Family demonstrated understanding via teach-back' is the gold standard for informed consent.
Q: Does the patient have to be present?
Ideally yes. If not, document *why* (e.g., 'Patient obtunded', 'Patient requested family handle discussion').
Q: How does HealOS help?
It transcribes the meeting, identifies speaker roles, and automatically formats the action items and decisions into a clinical note.
Q: Where does this note go in the chart?
Usually in a distinct 'Family Meeting', 'Care Coordination', or 'Social Work' section, but significant medical decisions should also be referenced in the physician's daily progress note.
Q: What if an interpreter is used?
You MUST document the interpreter's name and ID number to prove that communication was effective and legally compliant.
Clear Communication, Documented
Ensure that the detailed, compassionate conversations you have with families result in clear, actionable medical plans. Let HealOS agents handle the documentation while you handle the care.
Example Meeting Note
