Standardized Languages Use in the Health Care of Families

[Page 983]The family has always been central to health, but professionals have lacked a common language to describe this relationship. This gap became more apparent during the last 30 years as a shift in family health care from professionals to families has taken place due to increasing U.S. health care costs and shorter hospital stays. For this reason, a standardized language is needed to specify family health needs, to monitor care according to outcomes, and to electronically document the process. The concepts for assessing, diagnosing, establishing outcomes, and then selecting interventions represented in standardized language provide shared meaning for professionals providing care across disciplines. The concepts represented in the language hold potential for midrange theory development. Importantly, the language labels are coded for use in ...