Shadowing: a central component of patient and family-centred care.

Patient and family-centred care (PFCC), as distinct from patient-centred, or patient-focused, care, enables healthcare organisations to work collaboratively with patients and their families to enhance and improve their care experiences. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has implemented a PFCC model that is supported by a number of strategies including 'shadowing', which involves closely following patients and their families throughout their care experiences. This article briefly describes PFCC and discusses how shadowing works and the benefits of the process.