Patient empowerment: Increased compliance or total transformation?

Over the past decade, the idea of patient empowerment has been increasing in popularity. Although there is no consensus on the definition of this term, the concept contains some essential elements on which all can agree. They include involvement of the patient in decisions about personal health care and increased sharing of knowledge by health professionals to ensure that decisions are made wisely. However, it is not surprising that there is a range of views about the degree of power that patients should and do have and the context in which they should exercise this power. These views are rooted in ideological, political, and historical frameworks; and they center on ideas about professional dominance and, more broadly, on changes in structures and institutions that deliver health care.