Recent Health Affairs Issues Highlight Articles from ABIM Foundation Board of Trustee and ABIM Foundation Staff

Philadelphia, PA, September 1, 2010 – Articles co-authored by ABIM Foundation Board of Trustee Wendy E. Levinson, MD, and ABIM Foundation staff Cara Lesser, MPP on patient-centered care are featured in the July and August issues of Health Affairs.

Why the Nation Needs a Policy Push on Patient-Centered Health Care defines "the what, the who, and the why" of patient-centered care. Co-authors Ronald M. Epstein, MD, Professor of Family Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Kevin Fiscella, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community & Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Cara Lesser, MPP, Director of Foundation Programs for the ABIM Foundation, and Kurt C. Stange, MD, PhD, Professor of Family Medicine, Case Western Reserve University also explore the impact policymakers may have on advancing patient-centered care.

The importance of building and maintaining communication skills in patient-centered care is explored in Developing Physician Communication Skills for Patient-Centered Care. Co-authors Wendy E. Levinson, MD, the Sir John and Lady Eaton Professor, Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ronald M. Epstein, MD, Professor of Family Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, and Cara Lesser, MPP, Director of Foundation Programs for the ABIM Foundation discuss the positive impact these skills will have on patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, and self-management.

As new models for delivering quality care are explored throughout the health care system, physicians will not only need the information necessary to navigate the system, but also the skills to foster relationships with their patients that are grounded in communication and trust. Stakeholders will play an important role by developing and supporting patient-centered programs that support and foster environments that enable accessible, coordinated, and responsive care. These concepts and many key components of patient-centered care lie at the heart of medical professionalism as embodied in the Physician Charter.

"Communication skills are at the heart of the Physician Charter's commitments of honesty and trust and are directly linked to quality care, " says Christine K. Cassel, President and CEO of the ABIM Foundation. "These articles highlight what the policy community and health care organizations can do to support physicians in developing this important skill set."

Developed by the ABIM Foundation, ACP Foundation and the European Federation of Internal Medicine, he Physician Charter upholds a physician's compact with society to support and promote collective efforts to improve the health care system. Patient-centered care – a key component of medical professionalism — is dependent upon informing and involving patients, receptive and responsive health professionals, and a supportive health care environment.

The mission of the ABIM Foundation is to advance medical professionalism to improve the health care system. We achieve this by collaborating with physicians and physician leaders, medical trainees, health care delivery systems, payers, policy makers, consumer organizations and patients to foster a shared understanding of professionalism and how they can adopt the tenets of professionalism in practice. Connect with the ABIM Foundation on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.