A Narrative Synthesis of the Components of and Evidence for Patient- and Family-Centered Care

Abstract

A narrative synthesis was conducted to determine typical patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) components and their link to outcomes in pediatric populations. 68 studies with PFCC interventions and experimental designs were included. Study features were synthesized based on 5 core PFCC components (i.e., education from the provider to the patient and/or family, information sharing from the family to the provider, social-emotional support, adapting care to match family background, and/or s decision-making) and 4 outcome categories (health status; the experience, knowledge, and attitudes of the patient/family; patient/family behavior; or provider behavior). The most common PFCC component was education; the least common was adapting care to family background. The presence of social-emotional support alone, as well as educational interventions augmented with shared decision-making, social-emotional support, or adaptations of care based on family background, predicted improvements in families’ knowledge, attitudes, and experience. Interventions that targeted the family were associated with positive outcomes.