Abstract
Multiple studies have shown that patient clinical outcomes as well as patient/family satisfaction greatly improves with unrestricted visiting hours (Dragoi et al., 2022; Ning & Cope, 2020; Shao, 2022). The purpose of this project is to improve patient clinical outcomes and satisfaction by expanding visitation that enables families to be more present at the bedside and partner with nursing staff in patient care.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, patients around the world experienced an increase in negative physical and emotional impacts due to restrictions on family visiting (Hugelius et al., 2021). Post-pandemic, it is crucial to renew the focus on holistic care and utilizing patient support systems in meaningful ways to improve patient experiences and outcomes.
Prior to initiating 24 hour visiting, a QR code linking to an anonymous survey was placed in the hospital’s lobby for 30 days as a means of allowing both staff and visitors to express their thoughts and concerns about the proposed change. 60 responses were collected; A majority of the feedback from visitors was positive, while staff feedback was more mixed. Commonly cited concerns were interruptions in clinical flow and potential sleep disruptions for patients.
On July 21st 2025, this 867 bed urban hospital initiated a 24 hour access visiting structure for all inpatients. A passive strategy was chosen: All hospital staff were informed via email and visiting hours were removed from all external communications. However, the change was not explicitly advertised to the community at large. Using this “word of mouth” approach to disseminating the change was intentionally used to slowly implement and avoid a sudden influx of visitors.
Measurements on length of stay and 30 day readmission were utilized as clinical indicators and were measured and averaged for 3 months pre-intervention and 3 months post-intervention. While there was no change on average length of stay, 30-day readmissions decreased by nearly 7%.
Since the implementation of this process, there have been over 100,000 visitors, which was approximately the same as the three months leading up to the change. An enhanced focused on holistic, patient-centered care with greater partnerships with families has been imbued into the hospital culture, and monitoring of clinical outcomes is ongoing.
Notes
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References:
Dragoi, L., Munshi, L., & Herridge, M. (2022). Visitation policies in the ICU and the importance of family presence at the bedside. Intensive care medicine, 48(12), 1790–1792. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-022-06848-1
Hugelius, K., Harada, N., & Marutani, M. (2021). Consequences of visiting restrictions during the COVID 19 pandemic: An integrative review. International journal of nursing studies, 121, 104000.
Juba, O. O., Olumide, A. O., & Azeez, O. (2024). The influence of family involvement on the quality of care for aged adults: A comparative study. Research Corridor Journal of Engineering Science, 1(1), 284-304.
Ning, J., & Cope, V. (2020). Open visiting in adult intensive care units–A structured literature review. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 56, 102763.
Shao, C. C. (2022). Patient visitation–A call for standardization and liberalization. The American Journal of Surgery, 223(2), 428-429.
Sigma Membership
Mu Delta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Acute Care, Implementation Science, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Hospital Visitation, Open Visitation, Visitation in Hospitals, Patient Outcomes, Health Outcome Assessment, Patient Satisfaction, Urban Hospitals
Recommended Citation
Brochu, Danielle and Freed, Victoria, "Open Visitation Hours: Improving Patient Outcomes in a Large Urban Hospital" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 201.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/201
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-24
Open Visitation Hours: Improving Patient Outcomes in a Large Urban Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Multiple studies have shown that patient clinical outcomes as well as patient/family satisfaction greatly improves with unrestricted visiting hours (Dragoi et al., 2022; Ning & Cope, 2020; Shao, 2022). The purpose of this project is to improve patient clinical outcomes and satisfaction by expanding visitation that enables families to be more present at the bedside and partner with nursing staff in patient care.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, patients around the world experienced an increase in negative physical and emotional impacts due to restrictions on family visiting (Hugelius et al., 2021). Post-pandemic, it is crucial to renew the focus on holistic care and utilizing patient support systems in meaningful ways to improve patient experiences and outcomes.
Prior to initiating 24 hour visiting, a QR code linking to an anonymous survey was placed in the hospital’s lobby for 30 days as a means of allowing both staff and visitors to express their thoughts and concerns about the proposed change. 60 responses were collected; A majority of the feedback from visitors was positive, while staff feedback was more mixed. Commonly cited concerns were interruptions in clinical flow and potential sleep disruptions for patients.
On July 21st 2025, this 867 bed urban hospital initiated a 24 hour access visiting structure for all inpatients. A passive strategy was chosen: All hospital staff were informed via email and visiting hours were removed from all external communications. However, the change was not explicitly advertised to the community at large. Using this “word of mouth” approach to disseminating the change was intentionally used to slowly implement and avoid a sudden influx of visitors.
Measurements on length of stay and 30 day readmission were utilized as clinical indicators and were measured and averaged for 3 months pre-intervention and 3 months post-intervention. While there was no change on average length of stay, 30-day readmissions decreased by nearly 7%.
Since the implementation of this process, there have been over 100,000 visitors, which was approximately the same as the three months leading up to the change. An enhanced focused on holistic, patient-centered care with greater partnerships with families has been imbued into the hospital culture, and monitoring of clinical outcomes is ongoing.
Description
Unrestricted hospital visiting has many evidence-based benefits, including enhanced clinical outcomes. As part of a systematic effort to improve patient and family experience in inpatient settings, our large urban Level 1 trauma center expanded to 24 hour visiting on July 21st, 2025. The purpose of this project is to improve patient clinical outcomes and satisfaction by expanding visitation that enables family to be more present at the bedside and partner with nursing staff in patient care.