Issue Briefs | Jan 16, 2015

Individual and Family Engagement in the Medicaid Population: Emerging Best Practices and Recommendations

Mary M. Minniti, Marie R. Abraham, and Beverley H. Johnson, The Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care

In this issue brief, The Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC) outlines action-oriented recommendations and strategies to support enhanced individual and family engagement efforts in Medicaid. Engagement, broadly defined, is an active partnership among individuals, families, health care clinicians, staff, and leaders to improve the health of individuals and communities, and to improve the delivery of health care. Collaborative individual and family engagement is an important strategy for developing a patient- and family-centered system of care. Research shows that engaged individuals and families actively working with their health care teams have better outcomes, often choose less expensive options when participating in shared decision-making, and express greater satisfaction with their health care experiences.