Language Matters

Nov 7

Hello everyone!

Did you see the paper from the Camden Coalition exploring the language of partnership? Our colleague, Evelyne Kane spoke to people with lived experience in complex care needs about their preferred terms. When we spoke with Evelyne last month, she mentioned her organization is shifting from the term Consumer to the PWLE - People with Lived Experience.

Of course the PFAnetwork was established with the popular term of the time (9 years ago) which was Patient Family Advisor. Clearly language matters. Our community is constantly learning and evolving. Should our language also evolve? Our team is using the term Patient Family Partners to more accurately reflect the active work of engagement - which is partnership.

Similarly, we are shifting from Patient Family Advisory Councils to Patient Family Partnership Programs to be more inclusive of the many different ways to integrate patient family partnership. The PFAnetwork will continue to refer to our community as a whole. But how do we best refer to all of our members? Patient Family Advisor, Patient Family Partner, Person With Lived Experience, another term? Do we need a single term? Is there any harm in using multiple terms? What is your preferred term? We invite you to share your thoughts and ideas with us on the PFAnetwork Forum or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

In the spirit of the season and on behalf of the entire team at PFCCpartners, we thank you for the time, energy and commitment you all share with this community in service of one another and of the greater healthcare system.

Thank you!