AAP Releases Statement on Patient-Centered Care; Articles Explore Topic

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a policy statement on the pediatrician’s role in patient- and family-centered care, summarizing recent literature on how patient- and family-centered care has improved health outcomes and offering specific recommendations on how pediatricians can integrate patient- and family-centered care in their practices. In related news, a series of articles in the March 1, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine define patient-centered medicine and discuss several different perspectives of patient-centered care through varied perspectives. In one article, the physician authors (Barry and Edman-Levitan) write that shared decision-making is the pinnacle of patient-centered care—a vehicle that helps patients understand the importance of their values and preferences in making decisions that are best for them.