Innovating and redesigning the healthcare model

The future of healthcare is being rethought and new paradigms have emerged placing a heavy focus on patient-centricity. Today a shift in the role on the doctor-patient relationship in the medical decision-making is taking place and strong benefits are expected. Healthcare quality is a social matter and the lack of treatment adherence is an ever-present reality with major consequences on individual’s health and on economies worldwide. Strongly rooted on the Self-Determination Theory this study aims to identify the antecedents and outcomes of patient empowerment by addressing the gaps existent on this complex dimension. By taking into consideration physician’s support of patient’s individual needs of autonomy competence and relatedness as a driver for patient empowerment and its influence in enhancing patient adherence to the prescribed treatment this research intends to answer the following question: “Can physicians shape the direction of patient adherence by stimulating patient empowerment?”