July 28, 2017

CMS's Person and Family Engagement Strategy!

In December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) relased their Person and Family Engagement Strategy (PFE) which is designed to increase awareness, communication, and engagement between consumers and their families with their healthcare providers. The PFE outlines specific strategies including increasing health literacy and encouraging person-centered relationships between consumers and their providers.  The PFE has the following goals:

• Goal 1: Actively encourage person and family engagement along the continuum of care within the broader context of health and well-being in the communities in which people live.
  
  
• Goal 2: Promote tools and strategies that reflect person and/or family values and preferences and enable them to actively engage in directing and self-managing their care.
  
  
• Goal 3: Create an environment where persons and their families work in partnership with their health care providers to develop their health and wellness goals informed by sound evidence and aligned with their values and preferences.
  
  
• Goal 4: Develop meaningful measures and tools aimed at improving the experience and outcomes of care for persons, caregivers, and families. Also, identify person and family engagement best practices and techniques in the field that are ready for widespread scaling and national integration.

By promoting informed decision-making, co-creating goals and encouraging engagement, CMS is sending a clear message that providers and consumers can work towards creating stronger partnerships. As a call to action, CMS is encouraging healthcare providers to evaluate their programs and incorporate PFE-related concepts in order to achieve the goal of improved experiences and outcomes.

Questions?  Contact the Consumer Voice at info@theconsumervoice.org.