Introduction to a culture, process, and philosophy

Patient‐ and family‐centered care is not a new concept, but it has garnered increased interest and support during the last decade. While most healthcare providers are excellent at providing clinical care, the practice of addressing the myriad other patient and family needs requires a conscious and collaborative effort. Though the staff of hospitals and other patient settings across the country have achieved various degrees of successful implementation of patient‐ and family‐centered care initiatives, the success has not been universal. An objective evaluation of patient‐ and family‐centered initiatives is needed. However, underdeveloped evaluation processes should not prevent the implementation of best practices that already have shown demonstrable success.