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CommunicationNCT05591066

The Patient and Family Centered I-PASS LISTEN Study: Language, Inclusion, Safety, and Teamwork for Equity Now

A study testing PFC I-PASS Intervention and PFC I-PASS+ Intervention in people with Communication, run by Boston Children's Hospital at 8 sites in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

In 2014, a team of parents, nurses, and physicians created Patient and Family Centered I-PASS (PFC I-PASS), a bundle of communication interventions to improve the quality of information exchange between physicians, nurses, and families, and to better integrate families into all aspects of daily decision making in… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Communication
What is being tested?
PFC I-PASS Intervention and PFC I-PASS+ Intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
14,400 participants
Where
8 sitesUnited States
Study dates
26 Mar 2024to 1 Nov 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • All patients admitted to the pediatric inpatient study units of participating hospitals
  • Patients themselves who are age 13 and up (if they provide assent and their parent or guardian gives permission)*
  • Parents/caregivers of patients of all ages who speak English, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Karen, Korean, Nepali, Quiche, Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese (and/or other languages if resources allow)
  • Nurses working on these units
  • Residents working on these units
  • Medical and nursing students working on these units
  • Hospital leaders working at these hospitals
  • *Note for Consenting: Patients (13-18yo) who are in state custody and assent for themselves to complete surveys but lack legal guardian/caregiver present to offer consent are not being approached to complete surveys. These patients may still be enrolled in the study but not consented to complete patient-facing forms.

Who cannot join

None listed.

Trial locations and contacts

8 sites in 1 country.

8 sites in 1 country

United States8 sites
  • Northwest Texas Healthcare System

    Amarillo, Texas, 79106

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35233

  • The Research Institute of Nationwide Children's Hospital

    Columbus, Ohio, 43205

  • Children's Hospital Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, California, 90027

  • UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital of Oakland

    Oakland, California, 94609

  • University of Nebraska Medical Center

    Omaha, Nebraska, 68198

  • UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224

  • Children's Hospital at Montefiore

    The Bronx, New York, 10467

Other trials in United States

About this study

In 2014, a team of parents, nurses, and physicians created Patient and Family Centered I-PASS (PFC I-PASS), a bundle of communication interventions to improve the quality of information exchange between physicians, nurses, and families, and to better integrate families into all aspects of daily decision making in hospitals. PFC I-PASS changed how doctors and nurses talk to patients and families on rounds when they're admitted to the hospital. (Rounds are when a team of doctors visit patients every morning to do a checkup and make a plan for the day.) Rounds used to happen in a way that left out patients and families. Doctors talked at, not with patients, used big words and medical talk, and left nurses out. PFC I-PASS changed rounds by including families and nurses, using simple non-medical words, and talking in an organized way so nothing is left out. When PFC I-PASS was put in place in 7 hospitals, patients had fewer adverse events and better hospital experience. But it didn't focus on how to talk with patients with language barriers. This project builds upon upon PFC I-PASS to make it better and focus on the special needs of patients who speak languages other than English. This new intervention is known as PFC I-PASS+. PFC I-PASS+ includes all parts of PFC I-PASS plus having interpreters on and after rounds and training doctors about communication and cultural humility. The study team will now conduct a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial to compare the effectiveness of PFC I-PASS+ and PFC I-PASS to usual care at 8 hospitals.

Read the detailed description

Hospitalized patients who use languages other than English (LOE, Box 1) for care are at high risk for adverse events (AEs) due to communication failures. These failures include underutilizing safety-promoting strategies, such as certified interpreters, high-reliability structured communication, and family engagement. Patients using LOE also face individual bias from providers (eg, assuming lower intelligence based on accent) and systemic bias from systems not designed to meet their needs (eg, hospitals failing to invest in translation services), which lead to safety risks and poorer health. Patients using LOE also face intersectional bias based on race and ethnicity and other characteristics.

With PCORI's support, the investigators developed a structured communication intervention-Patient and Family Centered I-PASS (PFC I-PASS)-to improve family engagement on rounds that led to a 38% reduction in preventable AEs and improved hospital experience. In the subset of patients/families with language barriers, AEs and hospital experience improved further. However, sites struggled with how to implement PFC I-PASS in patients using LOE for care. Disparities in family engagement in patients using LOE for care persisted and interpreter use varied. The investigators have bolstered PFC I-PASS with evidence-based strategies, including standardized use of certified in-person and video interpreters during and after rounds, cultural humility training, and provider communication skills training (PFC I-PASS+).

The overall goal of this project is to compare the effectiveness of PFC I-PASS+ and PFC I-PASS vs usual care (unstructured communication and unstandardized interpretation at provider discretion) in a population of hospitalized children using LOE (PCORI populations of interest). To pursue this goal, the investigators will conduct a multicenter Hybrid Type I effectiveness trial. The investigators will randomize 4 sites to PFC I-PASS+ and 4 site to PFC I-PASS, using a Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial (SW-CRT) design to compare the effectiveness of PFC I-PASS and I-PASS+ vs usual care. The investigators will compare safety, experience, discrimination, and communication using gold standard systematic safety surveillance and patient/ family-reported measures. Our primary aim is to test the hypothesis that among patients using LOE for care, both PFC I-PASS+ and PFC I-PASS, vs usual care, will improve: AE rates, patient/family experience of provider communication and experience of discrimination, and communication openness, and frequency of patient-provider communications using interpreters.

Conditions
Communication
Being tested
PFC I-PASS Intervention, PFC I-PASS+ Intervention
Keywords
Family Centered Rounds, Patient Safety, Errors, Limited English Proficiency, Health Disparities, Adverse Events, Patient Experience, Family Engagement, Interprofessional Communication, Language Barriers
Medical subject headings
Communication

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • PFC I-PASS InterventionBehavioural

    Patient and Family-Centered I-PASS is a bundle of communication interventions to improve the quality of information exchange between physicians, nurses, and families, and to better integrate families into all aspects of daily decision making in hospitals. The intervention included a health literacy-informed, structured communication framework for family-centered rounds; written rounds summaries for families; a training and learning program; and strategies to support teamwork and implementation.

  • PFC I-PASS+ InterventionBehavioural

    PFC I-PASS+ builds on PFC I-PASS to make it better and focus on the special needs of patients who speak languages other than English. PFC I-PASS+ includes all parts of PFC I-PASS plus having interpreters during and after rounds, cultural humility training, and provider communication skills training.

Study groups in NCT05591066
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Usual careNo interventionUnstructured communication during rounds and unstandardized interpretation at provider discretion.
PFC I-PASS InterventionExperimentalPatient and Family-Centered I-PASS is a bundle of communication interventions to improve the quality of information exchange between physicians, nurses, and families, and to better integrate families into all aspects of daily decision making in hospitals. The intervention included a health literacy-informed, structured communication framework for family-centered rounds; written rounds summaries for families; a training and learning program; and strategies to support teamwork and implementation.
Receives: Behavioral: PFC I-PASS Intervention
PFC I-PASS+ InterventionExperimentalPFC I-PASS+ includes all parts of PFC I-PASS plus having interpreters on and after rounds and training doctors about communication and cultural humility.
Receives: Behavioral: PFC I-PASS+ Intervention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Adverse Event Rates

    Chart review, self-reported by staff and patients/families, and hospital incident reports

    Measured: 24 months (including usual care and intervention implementation data collection which will happen sequentially) per site (8 sites total)

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Patient/Family Experience with Care Questionnaire

    Self-reported by patients/families prior to discharge, based on a previously developed experience survey and modified Child HCAHPS items. Most items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale with higher numbers being better. Top-box (5 or 5 out of 5 scores) will be analyzed.

    Measured: 24 months (including usual care and intervention implementation data collection which will happen sequentially) per site (8 sites total)

  2. Patient/Family Experience of Discrimination (Discrimination In Medical Settings Scale)

    Self-reported by patients/families prior to discharge through the Discrimination in Medical Settings (DMS) Scale, which is a modified version of the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) adapted to medical settings. The EDS is one of the most utilized self-reported measures of discrimination and is validated across multiple populations. The 7-item DMS Scale has excellent convergent validity and discriminant validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and is used in a variety of clinical conditions. Items include whether patients are treated with less courtesy, less respect, receive poorer services; whether doctor or nurse acts as if patient is not smart, better than patient, or does not listen to patient. Responses were assessed with a 5-point Likert scale (1-never, 2-rarely, 3-sometimes, 4-most of the time, 5-always). The investigators will evaluate top-box (topmost, ie, "never") scores for this measure.

    Measured: 24 months (including usual care and intervention implementation data collection which will happen sequentially) per site (8 sites total)

  3. Safety Climate (The Children's Hospital Safety Climate Questionnaire)

    Self-reported by patients/families prior to discharge. The Children's Hospital Safety Climate Questionnaire includes 14 Likert-scale (agreement on a 5 point scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree") questions related to parent perceptions of safety climate during hospitalization. It was adapted from the AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture for staff and validated using confirmatory factor analysis. Domains include perceptions of safety, staff communication openness, parent communication openness, and handoffs and transitions. Items of interest relate to the communication openness domain. Top-box (top-most/best) scores will be analyzed.

    Measured: 24 months (including usual care and intervention implementation data collection which will happen sequentially)per site (8 sites total)

  4. Observations of Quality and Frequency of Communications

    Direct observations (by study staff) will measure the frequency of (1) overall communications between patients/families and providers, (2) language-concordant communications among patients and providers (times a provider communicates with a patient/family in a language the patient understands), and (3) interpreter-facilitated communications among patients with LEP. The type of communications and their quality will also be observed. The study team has used direct observations to measure frequency, type, and quality of communication reliably in multiple prior studies and will modify these prior measures to assess communication.

    Measured: 24 months (including usual care and intervention implementation data collection which will happen sequentially) per site (8 sites total)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Oct 2022
  2. Study start26 Mar 2024
  3. Primary completion1 Nov 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Nov 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Sequential
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
14,400 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05591066
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB-P00042876
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
17 Oct 2022
Last updated
21 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Starmer AJ, Spector ND, Srivastava R, West DC, Rosenbluth G, Allen AD, Noble EL, Tse LL, Dalal AK, Keohane CA, Lipsitz SR, Rothschild JM, Wien MF, Yoon CS, Zigmont KR, Wilson KM, O'Toole JK, Solan LG, Aylor M, Bismilla Z, Coffey M, Mahant S, Blankenburg RL, Destino LA, Everhart JL, Patel SJ, Bale JF Jr, Spackman JB, Stevenson AT, Calaman S, Cole FS, Balmer DF, Hepps JH, Lopreiato JO, Yu CE, Sectish TC, Landrigan CP; I-PASS Study Group. Changes in medical errors after implementation of a handoff program. N Engl J Med. 2014 Nov 6;371(19):1803-12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1405556.

    PubMed 25372088
  • Khan A, Coffey M, Litterer KP, Baird JD, Furtak SL, Garcia BM, Ashland MA, Calaman S, Kuzma NC, O'Toole JK, Patel A, Rosenbluth G, Destino LA, Everhart JL, Good BP, Hepps JH, Dalal AK, Lipsitz SR, Yoon CS, Zigmont KR, Srivastava R, Starmer AJ, Sectish TC, Spector ND, West DC, Landrigan CP; the Patient and Family Centered I-PASS Study Group; Allair BK, Alminde C, Alvarado-Little W, Atsatt M, Aylor ME, Bale JF Jr, Balmer D, Barton KT, Beck C, Bismilla Z, Blankenburg RL, Chandler D, Choudhary A, Christensen E, Coghlan-McDonald S, Cole FS, Corless E, Cray S, Da Silva R, Dahale D, Dreyer B, Growdon AS, Gubler L, Guiot A, Harris R, Haskell H, Kocolas I, Kruvand E, Lane MM, Langrish K, Ledford CJW, Lewis K, Lopreiato JO, Maloney CG, Mangan A, Markle P, Mendoza F, Micalizzi DA, Mittal V, Obermeyer M, O'Donnell KA, Ottolini M, Patel SJ, Pickler R, Rogers JE, Sanders LM, Sauder K, Shah SS, Sharma M, Simpkin A, Subramony A, Thompson ED Jr, Trueman L, Trujillo T, Turmelle MP, Warnick C, Welch C, White AJ, Wien MF, Winn AS, Wintch S, Wolf M, Yin HS, Yu CE. Families as Partners in Hospital Error and Adverse Event Surveillance. JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Apr 1;171(4):372-381. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.4812.

    PubMed 28241211
  • Khan A, Spector ND, Baird JD, Ashland M, Starmer AJ, Rosenbluth G, Garcia BM, Litterer KP, Rogers JE, Dalal AK, Lipsitz S, Yoon CS, Zigmont KR, Guiot A, O'Toole JK, Patel A, Bismilla Z, Coffey M, Langrish K, Blankenburg RL, Destino LA, Everhart JL, Good BP, Kocolas I, Srivastava R, Calaman S, Cray S, Kuzma N, Lewis K, Thompson ED, Hepps JH, Lopreiato JO, Yu CE, Haskell H, Kruvand E, Micalizzi DA, Alvarado-Little W, Dreyer BP, Yin HS, Subramony A, Patel SJ, Sectish TC, West DC, Landrigan CP. Patient safety after implementation of a coproduced family centered communication programme: multicenter before and after intervention study. BMJ. 2018 Dec 5;363:k4764. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k4764.

    PubMed 30518517
  • Khan A, Yin HS, Brach C, Graham DA, Ramotar MW, Williams DN, Spector N, Landrigan CP, Dreyer BP; Patient and Family Centered I-PASS Health Literacy Subcommittee. Association Between Parent Comfort With English and Adverse Events Among Hospitalized Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 Dec 1;174(12):e203215. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.3215. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

    PubMed 33074313
  • Parente VM, Khan A, Robles JM. Belonging on Rounds: Translating Research Into Inclusive Practices for Families With Limited English Proficiency to Promote Safety, Equity, and Quality. Hosp Pediatr. 2022 May 1;12(5):e171-e173. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2022-006581. No abstract available.

    PubMed 35411380
  • Khan A, Quinones-Perez B, Castellanos A, Garcia S, MacInnes E. Promoting true meaningful access and equity for patients and clinicians through the use of certified interpreters in hospitals. J Hosp Med. 2022 Sep;17(9):772-773. doi: 10.1002/jhm.12943. Epub 2022 Aug 17. No abstract available.

    PubMed 35977037
  • Khan A, Parente V, Baird JD, Patel SJ, Cray S, Graham DA, Halley M, Johnson T, Knoebel E, Lewis KD, Liss I, Romano EM, Trivedi S, Spector ND, Landrigan CP; Patient and Family Centered I-PASS SCORE Scientific Oversight Committee; Bass EJ, Calaman S, Fegley AE, Knighton AJ, O'Toole JK, Sectish TC, Srivastava R, Starmer AJ, West DC. Association of Patient and Family Reports of Hospital Safety Climate With Language Proficiency in the US. JAMA Pediatr. 2022 Aug 1;176(8):776-786. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.1831.

    PubMed 35696195
  • Glick AF, Kuzma NC, Rosenbluth G, Kats DJ, Yin HS, Zheng AW, Fan AL, D'Anna R, Elborki M, Gray KP, Texler C, Micalizzi D, Kane J, Haskell H, McDonald SC, Abu-Rish Blakeney E, Bismilla Z, Alvarado-Little W, Khan A; I-PASS LISTEN Language and Structured Communication Subcommittees. Development and evaluation of a multilingual caregiver electronic rounds summary. J Hosp Med. 2026 Jun;21(6):620-628. doi: 10.1002/jhm.70291. Epub 2026 Feb 24.

    PubMed 41736487

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing PFC I-PASS Intervention and PFC I-PASS+ Intervention in people with Communication, run by Boston Children's Hospital at 8 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 8 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Adverse Event Rates (time frame: 24 months (including usual care and intervention implementation data collection which will happen sequentially) per site (8 sites total)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05591066, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Oct 2026.

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