ACP has released a set of four principles that aims to solidify the role of patients and families in care. ACP's position paper, “, “ was published Nov. 27 by Annals of Internal Medicine.
Increasing evidence shows that patient and family partnership in care can improve health outcomes, practice efficiency, and patient and professional satisfaction. Patient- and family-centered strategies have been shown to lower utilization of health care resources, avoid unnecessary referrals and diagnostic testing, and reduce health care costs. A related ACP toolkit provides practical resources to help physicians implement ACP's principles for patient and family partnership in care in their practices.