The move toward patient empowerment began in the 1970s. Some references cite American and European civil rights movements as its root. Others suggest the patient of the '70s became more interested in complementary and alternative methods of healthcare and therefore demanded more of a say in their treatment choices. Even the explosion of technology and its resulting possibilities for research, testing and medical treatment played a role.
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine, an agency of the US government, issued its report called To Err is Human which cited the deaths of between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans each year due to medical errors. Thus the flames of patient empowerment were fueled, and the quiet-to-that-point movement began to grow.
Patient empowerment has a handful of definitions. Most focus on the concept of the patient as taking an active role in his own disease management, or being a contributing member of his medical decision-making team. This includes participation in, and respect for the tenets of patient advocacy, self-determination, healthcare consumerism and patient safety.
With more than 30 years of history, patient empowerment is approaching its tipping point. More and more, patients are realizing they can improve their medical outcomes by taking responsibility for their own healthcare decisions in partnership with their providers.
