Is the term family-centered, patient-centered, or patient- and family-centered care?
In the early 1990s, the Institute’s work focused primarily on family-centered approaches to pediatric care. Within this framework, it was always recommended however, that as patients matured, they should be encouraged to become more involved as decision-makers in their health care. As the Institute has become more involved in adult and geriatric care in the last 8-10 years, we have felt that it was important to make the acknowledgement of the patient’s role more explicit. Thus we now more commonly use the term patient- and family-centered care. We believe that the term, “patient-centered care,” is not sufficient to adequately describe this approach to care for several reasons. The original definition of patient-centered care as discussed in the literature in the late 1980s and early 1990s did not include the concept of patients and families as advisors and essential partners in improving care practices and systems of care. A second reason is that the majority of patients have some conn
In the early 1990s, the Institute’s work focused primarily on family-centered approaches to pediatric care. Within this framework, it was always recommended however, that as patients matured, they should be encouraged to become more involved as decision-makers in their health care. As the Institute has become more involved in adult and geriatric care in the last 8-10 years, we have felt that it was important to make the acknowledgement of the patient’s role more explicit. Thus we now more commonly use the term patient- and family-centered care. We believe that the term, “patient-centered care,” is not sufficient to adequately describe this approach to care for several reasons. The original definition of patient-centered care as discussed in the literature in the late 1980s and early 1990s did not include the concept of patients and families as advisors and essential partners in improving care practices and systems of care. A second reason is that the majority of patients have some conn
