Transforming medical practices: a significant opportunity for group psychotherapists

Group therapists are in a unique position to be effective as change consultants to medical practices and hospital departments that wish to transition to patientcentered care (PCC) and patient- and family-centered care (PFCC). Medical groups are under increasing pressure to adopt PCC because it has been shown to be an important component of substantial improvements in health care delivery, including cost containment. The establishment of patient-centered care requires sensitive, repeated group-based interventions to be successful; group therapists have a deep understanding of such interventions. The paper outlines the literature on PCC and PFCC, considers the group processes underlying successful implementation, and then turns to various phases of the consulting process itself, including system-diagnostic interviewing, group meetings, resources, and tracking the consequences of the consultation.