Why Patient and Family Engagement?

One of the central problems affecting the healthcare system is that patients are left on their own to navigate a severely fragmented, uncoordinated system. Many patients are not asked how they want to be treated or what their experiences are like; they may not feel adequately informed or involved in decisions about their care; and they often struggle to get necessary information from their doctors in a manner that is easy for them to understand.

As a National Priority, the Partners are working on Patient and Family Engagement to ensure patients and their families have access to tools and support to be fully informed about and play a key role in making healthcare decisions.

Patients who play an active role in their healthcare are key to stronger outcomes and lower costs. To achieve this, patients need culturally and linguistically appropriate information to improve healthcare discussions, and help them ask the right questions to shape treatment plans in line with their personal values and preferences.

Share your patient and family engagement stories, or learn more about this Priority.

NPP Patient and Family Engagement Convening Meeting
May 21, 2010 | 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

The National Priorities Partnership (NPP) Patient and Family Engagement Convening Meeting was held on May 21, 2010, in Washington, DC. 

The goal for this meeting was to build a shared knowledge base and identify key components of a strategy for facilitating widespread implementation and use of patient experience measures and tools by clinicians, payers and patients.

• Agenda (PDF)
• Meeting Materials (PDF)
• Presentations (PDF)

Engaging Everyone in the Decision Process
The Partners are working to ensure that:

• All patients will be asked for feedback on their experience of care, which healthcare organizations and their staff will then use to improve care.

• All patients will have access to tools and support systems that enable them to effectively navigate and manage their care.

• All patients will have access to information and assistance that enables them to make informed decisions about their treatment options.

Supporting Resources

• Employer Web-based Tools  - National Business Group on Health

• CAHPS Surveys & Tools - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

• Family Evaluation of Hospice Care (FEHC) - National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

• Shared Decision Making Toolkits - Center for Shared Decision Making, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

• Self-Management Tools - Stanford Patient Education Research Center

Patient and Family Engagement in the News

• St. Paul Pioneer Press - HealthPartners tries to rein in rising costs of back surgery (1/3/09)