IOM Report: Patients as Partners in Healthcare

The Institute of Medicine has released a report urging the healthcare industry to engage patients as partners in, rather than customers of, healthcare, because it is vital for cost savings and quality care.

The report covers discussions from a February IOM workshop on changing the role of the patient in healthcare settings, which was part of the IOM's ongoing Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care.

During the workshop, patients, administrators and clinicians held talks on engaging with patients, developing better tools to improve patient decisions and achieving patient data sharing.

The report mentions that there are significant infrastructural and cultural barriers to altering the role of the patient, but committing to these systemic changes is necessary to implementing quality care at lower costs. 

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