The growing complexity of our health care system and demands on providers can result in certain patient needs getting lost in the shuffle. Sometimes, the result is less-than-optimal care.
To address this issue, many providers are trying to be more responsive to patients' cultural traditions, family situations, personal preferences, and values. Some have tagged this movement "patient-centered care." To discuss the measurement of patient satisfaction and how this data is being used privately and publicly, among other issues, The Commonwealth Fund and the Alliance for Health Reform sponsored a December 4 luncheon briefing, "Who Cares What Patients Think?"
The panelists were: Charles Darby, head of the CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) project at the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Karen Davis, president of The Commonwealth Fund; and Melinda Karp, director of programs at Massachusetts Health Quality Partners. Ed Howard of the Alliance moderated the discussion.
To listen to the presentations with the speakers' slides, watch our new E-Forum. For more information and materials, visit the Alliance for Health Reform Web site.