Patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) is a philosophy of care that recognizes and respects the pivotal role of both the patient and the family in the delivery of medical care.

Visionary leaders in the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) began to evolve the concepts of family-centered care in the 1980s, with family-professional partnerships as central to the discussions.

The MCHB recognized the critical role that families played in caring for the health of children, particularly families of children with special needs. The MCHB partnered closely with families in developing and defin­ing the concepts of family-centered care. A definition and set of principles for family-centered care were created in 1995 by a team of family leaders and professionals under the guidance of the MCHB (http://www.fv-ncfpp. org/quality-health-care1/family-centered-care). These principles articulated the elements of respectful family-professional partnerships, including the encouragement that as a child grows, he or she assumes a partnership role. The principles of family-centered care are now in the forefront of both child and adult health care discussions. The terms “family-centered care,” “patient-centered care” and PFCC are widely accepted as standards of prac­tice that result in high quality care. PFCC helps providers support families in their natural caregiving roles by building on their unique strengths as individuals and as families. Patients, family members, and professionals are viewed as equal partners committed to excellence at all levels of health care. Patient and family-centered care enhances patient and family satisfaction, while optimizing outcomes. In the intense and emotional environment of transport medicine, the philosophy of PFFC is paramount.

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