What is Inter-Institutional Perspective

Healthcare management recognizes the importance of a patient-centered model whereas decision-making takes place pursuing social value, and empowered patients collaborate with healthcare operators in order to receive the best possible care. In this regard, patients' organizations are social groups taking care of patients' interests along several dimensions. This chapter introduces the phenomenon of patients' organizations and briefly describes the possible roles they can play within healthcare, both at macro and micro levels. The chapter organization is as follows: the background section introduces the importance of patient empowerment and describe the patient-centered healthcare model in general terms and as far as hospital organizational implications are concerned. It is followed by the definition of patients' organizations and a brief description of their diffusion. The chapter continues with a section about the social roles of patients' organizations, also considering the challenges posed by the digital transformation. It ends with conclusions and future research directions.