Resources

This paper discusses how the ACA puts new emphasis on measuring patients' experiences of care and using that information to improve care. Millenson and Macri trace how listening to the patient's voice has grown from an ethical demand of the patient rights movement into a series of specific, measurable behaviors characterized by use of patient experience surveys. The researchers examine patient engagement, patient experience of care, and overall patient centeredness within the context of the ACA and its mandates. They outline the growing evidence of benefits from better communication between providers and patients and involving patients more closely in their care, including greater adherence to medical advice, fewer complaints, fewer malpractice claims, and improvement in patient health.