adapted from Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care
What is Person and Family Centered Care?
Person and Family Centered Care (PFCC) is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that builds meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships among health care professionals, patients, and families. It redefines traditional relationships in health care by recognizing patients and families as essential members of the care team and actively engaging them in all aspects of care. PFCC emphasizes collaboration with people of all ages, across all levels of care, and in every health care setting to ensure care is respectful, coordinated, and aligned with what matters most to patients and their families.
What are the core elements of PFCC?
Dignity and Respect
We honor each person’s values, preferences, and lived experiences by listening with empathy and treating everyone with dignity. We use inclusive, culturally responsive communication and tailor care to what matters most to each individual.
Examples: Experience Standards (Respect Me. Know Me. Guide Me.), AIDET communication, culturally responsive care, plain language/health literacy, using preferred names and pronouns.
Information Sharing
We share clear, timely, and transparent information in ways that are easy to understand and meaningful, enabling patients and families to make informed choices and fully engage in care.
Examples: OpenNotes, shared decision making, bedside/virtual rounding, accessible education materials.
Participation
We empower patients and families to be active partners in care—inviting involvement at the level they choose and supporting autonomy, confidence, and independence.
Examples: Participating in care rounds, care planning, self-management tools and education.
Collaboration
We partner with patients and families beyond the bedside—co-creating improvements in programs, policies, research, education, and environments to enhance the care experience for all.
Examples: Co-design, Patient Advisory Councils, patient partners on committees and project teams.
What are the benefits/outcomes of PFCC?
Person and Family Centered Care (PFCC) brings a unique, lived-experience perspective into care design and delivery—creating meaningful improvements for patients, families, care teams, and the organization as a whole.
Benefits for Patients & Families
Strengthens voice, choice, and partnership in care
Builds confidence to actively participate in decisions and self-care
Improves care experiences for their own family and for others
Creates opportunities to give back and influence meaningful change
Benefits for Providers and Staff
Deepens understanding of patient and family needs and perspectives
Enhances the ability to deliver high-quality, compassionate care
Increases engagement, purpose, and job satisfaction
Inspires new thinking and practical solutions to everyday challenges
Benefits for the Organization
Drives improvements in quality, safety, and care experience
Increases responsiveness to patient- and family-identified priorities
Fuels innovation and co-designed solutions to complex problems
Strengthens person-centered programs, services, and system design
Energizes teams by embedding partnership into how work gets done
By integrating patient and family voices at every level, PFCC helps create a more responsive, equitable, and effective healthcare system.