How many visitors per day does the typical inpatient have?

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I'm trying to build a model of the number of visitors in a general acute care hospital on any given day. Did not find anything in the literature quantifying this. Does it seem reasonable, based on your experience, to use this as a multiplier: The typical inpatient will have 1 to 2 visitors per day? (I realize this is highly variable!) Thanks.

How do you propose that OP collect data?

A literature search would be a good start.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
How do you propose that OP collect data?

Exactly.

Impossible to gauge.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
There may be so much variability from patient to patient, day to day, week to week that, while it would be possible to calculate an average within a target population, it might end up just the meaningless center of a very wide range. That kind of inaccuracy would trash the results if used in a formal study, and would be laughably invalid if applied to inpatient populations in general.

It wouldn't fly in a formal study unless it's more specific.

Too much variability.

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Specializes in PACU, OR.

I've seen 2 or 3 cars roll up one after the other, each disgorging five people, adults and children, only to realize they're all together and have come to visit the same family member. It is a variable, but as has been pointed out, the only way you can get an average is by targeting specific population and cultural groups.

This would indeed involve some formidable data collection!

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

I would go right to cultural norms. I've had to kick 7 people out of a room just to get down to the 3 allowed, and others have 1 or 2 immediate family.

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Zero to 40. Only two at a time, though. However, when we're withdrawing support and the family wants to be at bedside, we've had 20 family members gathered around the patient.

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I would select a single unit to start with, collect data until a solid trend was seen, and then start with another unit of a similar pt type. There is no "typical unit" so it would likely need to be 'visitors in ICU's, visitors on med-surg, visitors in post-partum). I feel that there is no reason to say it can't be done unless someone has tried repeatedly.

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Thank you for your thoughtful answers. Suppose we're talking about a general med/surg unit. Would the estimate of the typical patient having 1 to 2 visitors per day be reasonable in that setting?

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

I think 1 is a good number if you factor in all of the patients that get dumped on our floor and get no visits.

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Specializes in FNP.

Too variable. Most of ours have a half dozen a day, at least. If they are teens, they will have a dozen or more. And on Sunday, look out, 'cause after church people swarm the hospital. I swear, they come just to see if there is anyone to visit, lol. Sometime, although rarely, we get someone who has 1 or none.

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Thank you for your thoughtful answers. Suppose we're talking about a general med/surg unit. Would the estimate of the typical patient having 1 to 2 visitors per day be reasonable in that setting?

That seems too low for my med/surg unit, even for my 8 hour shift. Could you find out who makes visitation policy at a local hospital, and call them?

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