Report of conference track 3: patient empowerment

Patient empowerment is a philosophy of health care that proceeds from the perspective that optimal outcomes of health care interventions are achieved when patients become active participants in the health care process. Under a patient empowerment philosophy, patients and clinicians jointly set goals, select interventions, and assess outcomes according to mutually-defined parameters. Employing patient empowerment as an information systems design philosophy leads to creation of computerized information resources, management systems and telehealth innovations in a manner that insures patients' abilities to participate as full partners in health care. Discussions in the track 3 discussion group led to refinement of the concept from patient empowerment to patient engagement. This report reflects the discussions by the participants. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.