Patient and Family Engagement in the United States: A Social Movement from Patient to Advocate to Partner

Abstract

Today’s focus on patient and family engagement in the United States results from nearly seven decades of evolving changes in the culture and practice of health care, creating opportunities for patients, families, caregivers, and community members to partner in decisions about health care and its delivery. The shift from patients as passive recipients of care to advocates to partners reflects multiple areas of influence: changing the traditional patient-provider dynamic, recognizing the power of patients as healthcare consumers, ePatients advocating for collective change, and partnerships in the patient- and family-centered care and patient safety movements. Advancing the practice and science of engagement requires system-level incentives and support, intentional efforts to engage patients and families from diverse backgrounds, and stronger evidence to improve uptake of engagement practices.