title: "How Can We Talk about Patient-centered Care without Patients at the Table?" Lessons Learned from Patient Advisory Councils.
abstract: Patient advisory councils (PACs) are a strategy for primary care clinics to engage patients in practice improvement. However, there is scant research on how PACs function. This study aimed to understand how PACs are organized and identify common challenges and perceived benefits of high-functioning PACs.
  
  
  
  Key informants identified 8 primary care clinics in California with high-functioning PACs. Leaders from each of the 8 clinics nominated 1 clinic staff member and 1 PAC patient member to be interviewed.
  
  
  
  Semistructured, one-on-one interviews were conducted at each clinic site or by phone. Interviews were dual-coded using modified grounded theory. Common themes were identified that would be pertinent to the development of future best practices for running PACs.
  
  
  
  Common characteristics of high-functioning PACs included careful attention to participant recruitment, facilitation strategies guiding diverse personalities toward a common purpose, and assigning accountability for practice improvement projects. Interviewees identified a variety of positive outcomes that ranged from tangible improvements to the waiting area to a more patient-centered staff culture.
  
  
  
  PACs show potential for promoting patient-centered practice improvements in primary care. Lessons learned from high-functioning PACs can inform a common set of strategies to assist practices in creating and sustaining effective advisory councils.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Anjana E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willard-Grace
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zieve
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dubé
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Charla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (AES, RW-G, AW, OZ, KD, MBP); California Primary Care Association, Sacramento, CA (CP).
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Potter
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002140:California; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Advisory Committees; Consumer Involvement; Medical Home; Patient Engagement; Patient-Centered Care; Quality Improvement