Patient- and family-centered care as an approach to reducing disparities in asthma outcomes in urban African American children: A review of the literature

Background: Patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) has the potential to address disparities in access and quality of healthcare for African American pediatric asthma patients by accommodating and responding to the individual needs of patients and families. Study Objectives: To identify and evaluate research on the impact of family-provider interventions that reflect elements of PFCC on reducing disparities in the provision, access, quality, and use of healthcare services for African American pediatric asthma patients. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed, English-language articles on family-provider interventions that (a) reflected one or more elements of PFCC and (b) addressed healthcare disparities in urban African American pediatric asthma patients (≤years). Results: Thirteen interventions or programs were identified and reviewed. Designs included randomized clinical trials, controlled clinical trials, pre- and post-interventions, and program evaluations. Conclusions: Few interventions were identified as explicitly providing PFCC in a pediatric asthma context, possibly because of a lack of consensus on what constitutes PFCC in practice. Some studies have demonstrated that PFCC improves satisfaction and communication during clinical interactions. More empirical research is needed to understand whether PFCC interventions reduce care disparities and improve the provision, access, and quality of asthma healthcare for urban African American children. Electronic databases used: PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo.