Patient empowerment—who empowers whom? : The Lancet

Patient empowerment—who empowers whom? : The Lancet

Virtually all people are patients at some point in their lives. Improving a person's ability to understand and manage his or her own health and disease, negotiate with different cadres of health professionals, and navigate the complexities of health systems is crucial to achieving better health outcomes. ENOPE 2012, and the political commitment it fostered, is most welcome. However, empowerment is a process for the individual and all those who might advocate for it. Of all the challenges ahead, starting a dialogue directly with medical professionals on patient empowerment seems the critical next step.