title: Patient involvement in Europe--a comparative framework.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to provide and explain the model that underlies most of the research reported within this special issue on "Patient involvement in health care across Europe".
  
  
  METHODS
  This introduction provides a literature review and a conceptual framework for the understanding of patient involvement and its potential development within health care across Europe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient involvement can be characterised in terms of three ideal types: voice, choice and co-production. Policies for developing user involvement in healthcare can have disempowering as well as empowering consequences. The pattern of dissemination of user involvement across Europe varies in form and content largely due to path dependency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The paper provides a template for future comparative research on user involvement in health care and one that could be extended to social care as well as other varieties of human services. This introduction and the special issue highlights the need for further comparative research in this area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The paper presents a robust model for comparative research. The findings may well be useful not only to researchers but also to policy makers and analysts.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Staffordshire University, Stafford, UK.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.forename: Majda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pahor
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010358:Patient Participation
keywords: Choice; Co-production; Empowerment; Europe; Patient involvement; Patient participation; Professional involvement; Proto-professionalism; Voice