International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Consumers or Citizens? Whose Voice Will Healthwatch Represent and Will It Matter?; Comment on “Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Brad Wright
Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
10.15171/ijhpm.2016.84
Abstract
Efforts to achieve effective and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare have existed for nearly a century, albeit with limited success. This brief commentary discusses a recent paper by Carter and Martin exploring the “Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England,” and places these challenges in the context of the broader struggle to give a voice to healthcare consumers and citizens. With an overview of what can go right and—perhaps more importantly—what can go wrong, the question remains: will Healthwatch—and other PPI efforts in healthcare—represent the voice of consumers or citizens and will it matter?
Keywords
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
Consumer Involvement
Governance
Representation
Healthwatch
England
Subjects
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 5, Issue 11
2016
Pages 667-669

  • Received Date 25 May 2016
  • Revised Date 19 June 2016
  • Accepted Date 19 June 2016
  • First Published Date 01 November 2016
  • Published Date 01 November 2016