The critical role of caregivers in achieving patient-centered care.

Achieving high-quality, cost-effective medical care remains an elusive goal of the US health care system, but there is widespread agreement that patientcentered care will be a key ingredient.1 Yet for frail elders and patients with advanced illness, many of whomhavemultiple chronic diseases, patient-centered care is impossible without caregiver involvement. Although advocacy groups such as the National Alliance for Caregivers have long endorsed attention to family members and prominent research organizations such as the newly created Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute mention families in their research agendas, the critical role of caregivers deserves considerably more attention from clinicians.