Patient advisory panels drive practice improvement

No matter what certifications a medical practice attains, it's not truly patient-centered until patients say it is, notes a recent blog post from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). An invaluable way to ensure patients feel cared about is to ask them--by creating a formal patient advisory board, according to Mott Blair, M.D., a member of the AAFP board of directors. Examples of ways Blair used patient feedback to improve his own practice included hiring a health coach, extending office hours and adding coat hooks to exam-room doors. Post