Understanding Patient and Family Engagement in Health Care

Abstract

Research shows that when patients are engaged in health care, it can lead to measurable improvements in safety and quality. Clinicians and other health professionals must ensure that they are respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values. While the role of the nurse in patient and family engagement is engrained in the theory of nursing care and nursing diagnosis, the field of patient and family engagement has evolved with the transformation of health care. Patient and family engagement should not be limited to the nursing professionals. All members of the healthcare team have a role to play to ensure coordinated care and improved outcomes. Tools and strategies have been developed over the years, such as family rounding, bedside shift report, and patient advisory councils. While much progress has been made to engage patients in their care and provide the kind of information needed to introduce choice and competition into health care, there is still a great deal of work to be done.