The heart of the matter: care conferences to promote parent-professional collaboration.

Children who are hospitalized frequently or who have lengthy admissions often require a large number of caregivers to meet their complex health care needs. Even the most organized of teams may experience confusion in their attempt to stay abreast of each other's care of the child. This can be particularly confusing to parents who are trying to cope with the stress of hospitalization, learning to navigate new financial and social service systems, attempting to remember the names and faces of the numerous specialists and their specific recommendations, and caring for their child. The University of New Mexico Children's Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico has developed and used a care conference model that includes families, medical staff, social workers, nutritionists, child life specialists, and specialized therapy provides in the process of integrating developmentally appropriate practices within the scope of necessary medical care.