New ACP position paper details how patient-centered care can improve outcomes
A related ACP toolkit provides practical resources to help physicians implement ACP's principles for patient and family partnership in care in their practices.
ACP has released a set of four principles that aims to solidify the role of patients and families in care. ACP's position paper, “Principles for Patient and Family Partnership in Care,” was published Nov. 27 by Annals of Internal Medicine.
Increasing evidence shows that patient and family partnership in care can improve health outcomes, practice efficiency, and patient and professional satisfaction. Patient- and family-centered strategies have been shown to lower utilization of health care resources, avoid unnecessary referrals and diagnostic testing, and reduce health care costs.
The principles are as follows: Patients and families should be treated with dignity and respect; patients and families should be active partners in all aspects of their care; patients and families should contribute to the development and improvement of health care systems; and patients and families should be partners in the education of health care professionals.
A related ACP toolkit provides practical resources to help physicians implement ACP's principles for patient and family partnership in care in their practices.