Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care

Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care
Name	Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care
Founded	1989
Type	Nonprofit organization
Location	United States
Mission	Promote patient- and family-centered care

Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care is a United States–based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting patient- and family-centered approaches in health care delivery. The organization engages hospitals, health systems, professional societies, advocacy groups, and policymakers to advance models of care focused on inclusion of patients and families in clinical decision-making. Its activities intersect with clinical practice, quality improvement, health policy, and professional education.

History

Founded in 1989, the organization emerged during a period of reform in United States health policy influenced by debates in Medicare and Medicaid policy and discussions among stakeholders including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and academic centers such as Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School. Early work built on family-centered care models from institutions like Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and advocacy by groups such as March of Dimes and Family Voices. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it collaborated with professional organizations including American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and American Nurses Association while engaging with regulators from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and standards bodies like The Joint Commission. The institute's evolution paralleled initiatives such as Institute of Medicine reports on patient safety and quality, and it contributed to discourse shaped by leaders from Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Kaiser Permanente.

Mission and Principles

The stated mission centers on advancing practices that respect the roles of patients and families in care delivery, aligning with principles championed by entities like World Health Organization and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Core principles emphasize dignity and respect, information sharing, participation, and collaboration, reflecting frameworks found in reports from Institute for Healthcare Improvement and consensus guidelines from American Academy of Pediatrics. These principles inform interactions among clinicians from American College of Physicians, administrators from National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, and consumer advocates from groups such as National Patient Safety Foundation.

Programs and Services

Programs include educational workshops for staff at organizations like Boston Children's Hospital and Seattle Children's Hospital, consultation for health systems including Partners HealthCare and Intermountain Healthcare, and toolkit development similar to resources produced by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Services target clinical leaders, family advisors, and boards such as those of Veterans Health Administration medical centers and community hospitals accredited by The Joint Commission. The institute convenes conferences that attract speakers from University of California, San Francisco, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins Hospital and offers curricula compatible with continuing education providers like Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

Research and Publications

The organization produces white papers, toolkits, and case studies drawing on collaborations with academic partners including University of Michigan, Yale School of Medicine, and Stanford Medicine. Its publications often address themes in reports by Institute of Medicine and analyses featured in journals such as Health Affairs, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine. Research activities have examined outcomes relevant to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention priorities and metrics used by National Quality Forum, informing policy dialogues involving lawmakers from United States Congress and regulators at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Partnerships and Advocacy

Partnerships span professional societies—American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Surgeons, Society of Hospital Medicine—and patient advocacy organizations including Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute stakeholders and community groups like AARP. The institute has advocated in forums alongside think tanks such as Kaiser Family Foundation and Commonwealth Fund and participated in coalitions addressing issues similar to campaigns by National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care and Families USA. It engages with accreditation and certification bodies including The Joint Commission and National Committee for Quality Assurance to promote standards that embed family engagement.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters credit the organization with influencing practice change at hospitals such as Children's National Medical Center and systems like Geisinger Health System, contributing to patient experience improvements tracked by Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores and quality metrics from National Quality Forum. Critics argue that implementation can be uneven, citing constraints highlighted in reports from Government Accountability Office and analyses by scholars at Brown University and University of Pennsylvania that point to variable evidence linking family engagement to cost reductions. Debates involve stakeholders from American Hospital Association and consumer groups such as Public Citizen over priorities, measurement, and resource allocation.

Category:Health care organizations in the United States