title: Consumers or Citizens? Whose Voice Will Healthwatch Represent and Will It Matter? Comment on "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England".
abstract: Efforts to achieve effective and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare have existed for nearly a century, albeit with limited success. This brief commentary discusses a recent paper by Carter and Martin exploring the "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England," and places these challenges in the context of the broader struggle to give a voice to healthcare consumers and citizens. With an overview of what can go right and-perhaps more importantly-what can go wrong, the question remains: will Healthwatch-and other PPI efforts in healthcare-represent the voice of consumers or citizens and will it matter?
authors: Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors: Brad
authors: B
authors: Wright
mesh_terms: D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004739:England; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation; D013222:State Medicine
keywords: Consumer Involvement; England; Governance; Healthwatch; Patient and Public Involvement (PPI); Representation