Zoom Family Meeting

This perspective article reflects on how the Covid-19 pandemic catalyzed innovations in care delivery, using the example of virtual "Zoom family meetings" for hospitalized patients with complex needs. The author recounts a multi-disciplinary video meeting for a 78-year-old patient with heart failure and renal dysfunction, noting how inpatient and outpatient clinicians previously siloed collaborated in real-time with the patient’s family. The dialogue allowed unified decision-making, improving care coordination and restoring patient confidence. The article highlights how technology facilitated inclusion of longitudinal outpatient insights and real-time problem-solving. It critiques fee-for-service compensation models that undervalue such teamwork and calls for structured, predictable virtual meetings that enhance clinical decision-making. The author argues that organizations should institutionalize these practices beyond the pandemic, as they offer better outcomes and deeper clinician engagement.

This perspective article reflects on how the Covid-19 pandemic catalyzed innovations in care delivery, using the example of virtual "Zoom family meetings" for hospitalized patients with complex needs. The author recounts a multi-disciplinary video meeting for a 78-year-old patient with heart failure and renal dysfunction, noting how inpatient and outpatient clinicians previously siloed collaborated in real-time with the patient’s family. The dialogue allowed unified decision-making, improving care coordination and restoring patient confidence. The article highlights how technology facilitated inclusion of longitudinal outpatient insights and real-time problem-solving. It critiques fee-for-service compensation models that undervalue such teamwork and calls for structured, predictable virtual meetings that enhance clinical decision-making. The author argues that organizations should institutionalize these practices beyond the pandemic, as they offer better outcomes and deeper clinician engagement.