Speak Up! Addressing the Paradox Plaguing Patient-Centered Care

Abstract

Beneath the patient-centered rhetoric that dominates health care lurks a major paradox: The language of patient-centered care is omnipresent, but the reality is falling short. Patients are bombarded with surveys, post-discharge calls, opportunities to share “compliments and concerns,” and requests to “speak up.” In actuality, patients' perceptions of care are often ignored and rarely translate into improvements. Two flaws underlie this paradox.