NQF Honors Planetree International’s Efforts to Engage Patients and Consumers in Healthcare 

Washington, DC — The National Quality Forum (NQF) today presented its 2017 Consumers and Patients for Quality Award to Planetree International. Founded by a patient in 1978, Planetree was one of the nation’s first organizations to engage patients and their families as active participants in decisions about their care. Today, it remains a leader in the healthcare industry by integrating the patient and caregiver voice into all aspects of healthcare delivery.

“Planetree International has been at the forefront of person- and family-centered care long before incorporating an individual’s personal preferences and goals into care decisions was mainstream practice,” said Shantanu Agrawal, MD, MPhil, president and CEO of the National Quality Forum. “Planetree’s efforts have paved the way for the groundbreaking cultural shift where clinicians and other providers work together with patients to make decisions about their care. Planetree continues to push the envelope to transform healthcare delivery.”

Planetree International’s health resource center was one of the first of its kind to provide consumers with a broad array of information about quality and safety. It became a national model for hundreds of similar centers around the country. Planetree also established the country’s first patient-centered care model with open medical records, patient-directed visitation, and attention to spiritual and emotional needs. This model is now used in 700 clinical sites in 22 countries.

Each year, Planetree partners with healthcare organizations around the world and across the continuum of care to create a strong foundation for patient-centered care. Through these partnerships, Planetree’s work has impacted nearly nine million patients over more than three decades. In addition, Planetree captures the perspectives of thousands of patients and families through hundreds of focus groups, observations, and interviews. It then shares these findings to inform changes in culture, care delivery, and policy both locally and nationally.

“We greatly appreciate NQF and the ever-growing community of individuals and organizations that have joined us in the important work of engaging patients and facilitating compassionate interactions in healthcare,” said Susan Frampton, PhD, president, Planetree International. “This award honors not only Planetree, but the countless patients, families, and healthcare professionals with whom we have worked over nearly four decades.”

Frampton chairs the National Quality Partners (NQP) Leadership Consortium, which comprises 30 national leaders and experts committed to developing and implementing action-oriented strategies around quality measurement to improve the health and healthcare of all Americans. She also served as co-chair of the NQP Advanced Illness Care Action Team, which issued a national call to action for all stakeholders to ensure that individuals with advanced illness, their families, and caregivers are at the center of care decisions.

NQF’s Consumer and Patients for Quality Award is presented annually to celebrate the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations that engage individuals, their families, and caregivers in decisions about their care. This year’s award was presented at NQF’s 2017 Annual Conference in Pentagon City, VA.

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The National Quality Forum leads national collaboration to improve health and healthcare quality through measurement. Learn more at www.qualityforum.org.