Promoting patient empowerment in the healthcare system: highlighting the need for patient-centered drug policy

Abstract

In recent years the term ‘patient empowerment’ has increasingly been used among healthcare policy makers; however, discussions have focused on narrow activities that as stand-alone activities would be unlikely to give patients power. This paper presents findings from a systematic review of the medical literature. After offering a new definition of patient empowerment, we review the literature behind the concept, aided by a conceptual model. The model is derived from our review of all papers published in medicine (Medline) between 1980 and 2005, and is focused around issues related to the antecedents, activities and outcomes of patient empowerment, especially as they relate to researchers who may need to formulate or evaluate public policies aimed at the issue. We strive to stimulate more discussion of the linkages between public policy and patient empowerment, identifying a need to take a holistic approach, especially when policies are aimed at empowering patients in the area of personal drug management.

Keywords::

• adherence
• drug management
• health outcomes
• health policy
• patient empowerment
• satisfaction

Acknowledgements

An early version of this paper was presented at the 4th Deutscher Kongress zum Thema Partizipative Entscheidungsfindung (Shared Decision Making) at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, 30 March–1 April 2007. We are grateful for the comments that we received at this conference, from our colleagues at the University of Heidelberg and Johns Hopkins University and from three excellent, yet anonymous, reviewers. Bridges has received support from Pfizer Inc. (NY, USA) in the past for his research efforts in patient empowerment.