Report of conference track 3: patient empowerment.

Patient empowerment is a philosophy of health care that proceeds from the perspective that optimal outcomes of health care interventions are achieved when patients become active participants in the health care process. Under a patient empowerment philosophy, patients and clinicians jointly set goals, select interventions, and assess outcomes according to mutually-defined parameters. Employing patient empowerment as an information systems design philosophy leads to creation of computerized information resources, management systems and telehealth innovations in a manner that insures patients' abilities to participate as full partners in health care. Discussions in the track 3 discussion group led to refinement of the concept from patient empowerment to patient engagement. This report reflects the discussions by the participants.