Patient‐centered care and adherence: Definitions and applications to improve outcomes

PURPOSE: The implementation of patient-centered care (PCC) has been hampered by the lack of a clear definition and method of measurement. The purpose of this review is to identify the fundamental characteristics of PCC to clarify its definition, propose a method for measurement of PCC, and recommend effective PCC practices. DATA SOURCES: Review of literature related to PCC, adherence and communication from Cinahl, PubMed Academic Search Premier, and Cochrane Library databases. CONCLUSIONS: Research has shown that patient-centered interactions promote adherence and lead to improved health outcomes. The fundamental characteristics of PCC were identified as (a) patient involvement in care and (b) the…