This document discusses patient- and family-centered care, which is an approach that involves mutually beneficial partnerships between healthcare providers, patients, and families. It is grounded in core concepts like respect and dignity, information sharing, participation, and collaboration. The document traces the history and evolution of family-centered care beginning in the 1960s and provides definitions and principles from organizations like the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care. It also examines what patients and families want from their healthcare experience.