Defining Patient-Centeredness in Healthcare

Published May 21, 2018

ISPOR Special Interest Group Presents Findings and Consensus Definition for “Patient Engagement” and “Patient-Centeredness”

Baltimore, MD, USA—May 21, 2018—ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, held a session this evening, “Defining Patient-Centeredness and Engagement in Health Economics and Outcomes Research: Proposed Definition and Stakeholder Response [F3],” at ISPOR 2018 in Baltimore, MD, USA. Patient-related initiatives in healthcare are expanding as more and more stakeholders seek to involve patients in drug development, research, and delivery of healthcare. The lack of a common definition for the terms “patient engagement” and “patient-centeredness” has made it difficult to quantify and measure the impact of related initiatives. When these terms are employed, they are often used interchangeably and/or not defined, which can lead to misunderstanding. This lack of a consistent, clear definition for these terms has been highlighted in outcomes research, pharmacoepidemiology, and related fields, as a barrier to implementing and measuring patient engagement in the field. The session was moderated by Rachel L. Harrington, BA, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Speakers included Eleanor M. Perfetto, PhD, MS, National Health Council, Washington, DC, USA and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA; Suzanne Schrandt, JD, Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA; and Sarah Donelson, MA, Genentech, San Francisco, CA, USA. In this session, speakers presented the proposed consensus definition of “patient engagement” suitable for use in the context of health economics and outcomes research. The proposed definition was derived from a multistep process that included a systematic review and qualitative analysis of existing definitions in addition to a multistakeholder review. The speakers shared the implications of and the response to a consensus definition for patient engagement from the perspective of key stakeholders, including patients, policy/research, and industry. The ISPOR Patient-Centered Special Interest Group, comprised of researchers and patient representatives, will submit a manuscript entitled, “Defining Patient Engagement in Research: Results of a Systematic Review and Analysis,” to the Society’s journal, Value in Health. Additional information on ISPOR 2018 can be found here. Released presentations from the conference can be found here. Interested parties can follow news and developments from the conference on social media using the hashtag #ISPORBaltimore.

###

  ABOUT ISPOR ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field. Web: www.ispor.org | LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ISPOR-LIn | Twitter: www.twitter.com/ISPORorg (@ISPORorg) | YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ISPORorg/videos | Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISPORorg | Instagram: www.instagram.com/ISPORorg

Related Stories

ISPOR’s “HEOR Explained” and “HEOR News Desk” Win Major Industry Awards

Feb 24, 2026

ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research announced that its HEOR Explained website and videos along with its HEOR News Desk were recognized with a number of prominent industry awards from the dotCOMM, MarCom, and Viddy Awards.

ISPOR Publishes Health Economics and Outcomes Research Competencies Framework

Feb 17, 2026

ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research announced that it has published a new ISPOR HEOR Competencies Framework™. The HEOR Competencies white paper is designed to be a resource for professionals in the field of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) as a guide for career development.

Health Equity Research Goes Global—Without Waiting for Perfect Data

Feb 9, 2026

Value in Health Regional Issues announced the publication of a special collection of research papers in showing that meaningful progress in health equity research is occurring across regions and in settings with different data environments and policy needs.
Your browser is out-of-date

ISPOR recommends that you update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on ispor.org. Update my browser now

×