Patient centred professionalism – defining the public’s expectations of doctors

The purpose of the Patient-Centred Professionalism project was “to define patient-centred professionalism in medicine, and to help embed the essential principles in the culture of the medical profession so that in due course these will be reflected in the practice of every doctor and in the institutional arrangements for medical education and regulation.” It was a three-year research and development programme designed to improve patient care by enhancing understanding of the patient’s perspective on doctors and medical care. The aim was to ensure that medical practice standards, education and regulation are truly patient-centred.