Patient- and family-centered perinatal care - Partnerships with childbearing women and families

Providing patient- and family-centered care is not a simple endeavor. It requires a transformation in organizational culture that is reflected in a myriad of details at the departmental, clinical, and individual provider and patient levels. Patient- and family-centered practitioners know that it is not a recipe or formula of specific practices, but an evolving approach that guides policy and program development, facility design, decision making, and daily interactions throughout the healthcare system. Today, momentum for patient- and family-centered care continues to build. It is supported by a growing body of research and by prestigious organizations that are committed to involve patients and families in care and in the redesign of healthcare for the 21st century to meet the recommendations of the IOM report. This article outlines the concepts of patient- and family-centered care and describes how they link with and differ from traditional concepts of family-centered maternity care. Partnerships with childbearing women and their families in clinical settings and in healthcare redesign that enhance quality, safety, and experience of care are described.