At Stony Brook Medicine, we take Patient and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) to heart. It is the philosophy that guides our everyday interactions. It also is the framework for our planning and program development. Research has demonstrated that when healthcare practitioners, patients and families are brought together in daily, ongoing partnerships — sharing information, making decisions, participating in care and exchanging ideas — the results include better outcomes, higher quality and improved safety.
Stony Brook Medicine sees PFCC as an integral part of our organizational culture. More than a program or initiative, PFCC has become the lens through which we evaluate everything we do for and with our patients and their families. PFCC focuses on the pivotal role of the family in the health and well-being of patients and the importance of treating people with respect and dignity. From this grows a commitment to communicating and sharing complete and unbiased information in ways that are supportive and useful. Families and patients are empowered to participate in their care and decision-making at the level they choose.
Patient- and Family-Centered Care Four Key Principles:
- People are treated with respect and dignity.
- Healthcare providers communicate and share complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that support them and are useful.
- Patients and families are encouraged and supported in participating in care and decision-making at the level they choose.
- Collaboration among patients, family members and providers occurs in policy and program development and professional education, as well as the delivery of care.
The ultimate goal of PFCC is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the quality and safety of healthcare.
Establishing patient- and family-centered care requires a long-term commitment and entails transforming the organizational culture. This approach to care is a journey, not a destination — one that requires continual exploration and evaluation of new ways to collaborate with patients and families.
Patient- and Family-Centered Care is an approach to healthcare that offers a new way of thinking about the relationships between patients, their families and healthcare providers. It is founded on the understanding that the family plays a vital role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages.