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Patient and Family Advisory Council

Improve Health Care With us

We believe that you play an important role in shaping all aspects of healthcare. We partner with patients, families, caregivers, and the community to design health care that is compassionate, personalized, and coordinated. 

One of the ways we design together is through our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), Advise Utah, and other system-level focus groups. These groups provide feedback to directly improve health care.

About our Patient and Family Advisory Council

Our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is a group who meets virtually with providers and staff to give feedback on U of U Health projects and share their experiences (called Advisors).

We welcome all adults to share their perspectives, including:

  • Patients
  • Family members
  • Caregivers
  • Community leaders and members
  • People who are passionate about improving health care 

Advisors: 

  • Review materials prior to attending sessions
  • Ask family or friends for their perspectives
  • Provide guidance by sharing their experiences
  • Use their experiences to give input on projects and initiatives 

In turn, we will: 

  • Seek to recruit Advisors from all backgrounds and differing perspectives
  • Make it easy for Advisors to participate and provide feedback
  • Respect the different perspectives that Advisors bring to the conversation; we listen to what Advisors have to say, whether it is positive or negative 
  • Update Advisors on the impact of their feedback
    • Exam Consent Process: Advisors shared experiences and provided feedback on the process of giving consent for physical exams.
    • CT & MRI Scheduling Preferences: Participants reviewed the patient scheduling process and gave input on how patients receive instructions.
    • Specialty Care Location Preferences: The group discussed where they prefer to receive specialized care and why they choose those specific locations.
    • New Parking Structure Wayfinding: Advisors gave feedback on the design and placement of parking structure signage to improve wayfinding.
    • Hospital Falls Prevention: the Council reviewed signage designs and provided input on the placement of signage to prevent patient falls.
    • Climate Action Plan: Advisors gave feedback on the University of Utah's Climate Action Plan and how they expect U of U Health to respond to the effects of climate change.

MEMBERSHIP

  • Advisors serve a term of 15 sessions.
  • The Patient Experience team typically holds one virtual session a month. Sessions are held on the second Monday of the month from 12:00-1:00pm MT and conducted via Zoom.
  • Prior to each session, Advisors receive materials to review so they can be ready to discuss the session topic and provide input. Sessions begin with a brief introduction to the topic. Then, Advisors share their experiences and provide input.
A woman wearing headphones and smiling at her laptop in a virtual call.

Application

Questions? Email px@hsc.utah.edu and we will contact you within two business days.

We look forward to partnering with you!