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Patients should always receive high quality care from their physicians and the health care organizations they visit. Unfortunately, many research studies have shown that the current health care system in the United States is faltering in its efforts to always provide high quality care. Specifically for vulnerable patient populations, such as those that face cultural, language, and other barriers, there are glaring disparities in health care quality and health outcomes. For the Ethical Force Program, focusing attention on patient-centered communication is not merely an ethical imperative in health care, we also believe it will lead to better health outcomes. Communication barriers are especially prevalent among vulnerable minority populations, and efforts to improve patient-centered communication may help alleviate racial and ethnic disparities in health care.
Organizations that hope to improve communication with vulnerable populations need workable tools to perform self-assessment and focus quality improvement initiatives. The Ethical Force Program has developed and is field testing a set of measures for health care organizations that will address patient-centered communication for vulnerable populations, with a special focus on evaluating the use of these measures to help reduce health disparities.
The Ethical Force Program
515 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 464-5260
Fax: (312) 464-4613
EthicalForce@ama-assn.org
Initiative goals
The goals set for the Ethical Force's Patient-Centered Communication Initiative.Patient centered communication framework
Initial framework for assessing patient-centered communication for vulnerable populations.Expert advisory panel
Ethical Force Program's expert advisory panel for the Patient-Centered Communication Initiative.Hospital recognition project
AMA recognition of hospitals leading the development of innovative approaches for patient-centered communication.Toolkit field testing
In phase I, eight hospitals and eight physician group practices field tested a self-assessment toolkit for patient-centered communication. In phase II, testing continues in nine sites.Communication consensus report
Information and guidance to help health care organizations and staff members communicate in ways that are patient-centered and effective.Organizational assessment toolkit
Organizations can use the toolkit to assess organizational performance in the area of communication. The results are appropriate for use in guiding decisions about quality improvement interventions.Content provided by: Institute for Ethics