For Patients & Families

At Dana-Farber, we recognize the need for patients to have family and friends on hand for support. Here are a few guidelines for your visit.

• We ask that patients in clinic areas limit visitors to two at a time, due to space constraints and the privacy of other patients.
• Dana-Farber recognizes that persons who support a patient may include but are not limited to a spouse, adult child, close relative, friend, domestic partner, or significant other, regardless of gender.
• Visitors are welcome to stay with the patient throughout his or her appointment at Dana-Farber, depending on the patient’s wishes and the need to ensure the safe and private delivery of medical care.
• Children age 12 or younger must be supervised by an adult (other than the patient) at all times and are only permitted in clinic areas if they have a family link to the patient (e.g., siblings, children, or grandchildren of the patient).
• Before visiting any infusion areas, children age 17 and younger need prior approval from clinical leadership.
• Children age 17 and younger that are accompanying patients to imaging procedure areas must remain in the waiting area, due to the potential presence of ionizing radiation and other safety hazards.
• Visitor accommodations may be available for persons with a disability or non-English speaking persons. These types of arrangements need to be approved in advance by the unit’s clinical nurse director.
• All visitors are expected to respect the privacy and health care needs of Dana-Farber patients. Dana-Farber may restrict persons from visiting patients for specific reasons, including, but not limited to:
  • Flu-like illness or other communicable disease. If visitors have a fever (100.4 F or higher) and a sore throat, runny nose, or cough, they will be asked to leave the Institute. If they must accompany the patient (e.g., guardian or custodian), they will be required to wear a mask during their visit.
  • The existence of court orders restricting contact (of which Dana-Farber is aware).
• For visiting inpatients, please see our Inpatient Visitor Guidelines.

Thank you for your help in following these guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with the clinical nurse director in your clinic or call Patient/Family Relations at 617-632-3417.