The patient centered organizational model in italian hospitals: Practical challenges for patient engagement

The concepts of patient-centered care and patient engagement are often used interchangeably in health policy debates. In fact, it is frequently – and implicitly – assumed that putting patients at the centre of care will more or less spontaneously lead to fully engaged patients. This chapter questions these assumptions. By focusing on the hospital's patient-centered reform in Italy, the chapter discusses the overlaps but also the discrepancies between the practices of putting patients at the centre and those of engaging patients. Discrepancies may appear at three levels: the new hospital model may challenge the establishment of a close alliance between patients and professionals, the new hospital spaces may not be perceived as a catalyst for improving patients' experiences, and the inter- and intra- professional struggles derived from the new configuration of hospital teams at an early stage may hinder patient care delivery. The chapter proposes some strategies for patient-centered hospitals to increase their capacity to engage patients and families in the management of their care plan.