title: Patient centredness and quality improvement efforts in hospitals: rationale, measurement, implementation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient-centred care is increasingly being acknowledged as an integral part of evaluating health care. Yet, from a quality improvement perspective the rationale, measurement and implementation of strategies to improve patient-centred care is often subject to debate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to review why quality improvement efforts should embrace patient-centredness, to examine some of the measurement issues and to assess conceptual underpinnings that should inform both measurement and actions to improve patient-centred care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The causal pathway through which quality improvement affects and/or is associated with patient centredness is complex and goes beyond patients' rights and assessing patient views. Interventions to improve patient-centred care should reflect on key rationale, measurement strategy and underlying theory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research & Policy, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK. oliver.groene@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Groene
mesh_terms: D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation; D057240:Patient Preference; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000592:standards; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000592:standards