The acronym RISE in healthcare represents a unified framework designed to prioritize the patient’s perspective, standing for Respect, Involve, Support, and Empower. This model moves beyond traditional, provider-focused methods to establish a collaborative partnership between patients and the healthcare system. RISE is a foundational component of modern patient-centered care, aiming to improve communication, build mutual trust, and enhance the overall quality of health outcomes. By integrating these four elements, healthcare organizations transform the patient from a passive recipient of care into an active, informed participant in their own well-being.
Defining the Four Pillars of RISE
Respect
The first pillar, Respect, requires recognizing the patient as a unique individual with inherent dignity. This involves practicing cultural competence, honoring a patient’s background, beliefs, and personal choices without judgment. Respect also extends to preserving the patient’s privacy and upholding their personal autonomy in all communication. When a patient feels respected, it cultivates a foundational environment of safety and trust necessary for open dialogue.
Respectful care means acknowledging the patient’s time and circumstances, such as minimizing wait times and offering flexible scheduling. Clinicians demonstrate respect by actively listening to the patient’s account of their illness and validating their concerns. This approach shifts the focus from treating a disease to caring for the whole person, including their emotional and psychological state.
Involve
The second pillar, Involve, focuses on integrating the patient and their family into the decision-making process. This is operationalized through Shared Decision-Making (SDM), where the provider presents all reasonable treatment options, risks, and benefits. The provider encourages the patient to express their personal preferences, values, and lifestyle goals. The goal is to reach a consensus on a care plan that aligns clinical evidence with the patient’s lived experience.
Involvement requires providers to use clear, jargon-free language so the patient fully comprehends their condition and treatment pathway. Patients who feel involved are more likely to have a higher knowledge level about their condition and experience less decisional conflict. Actively soliciting input from family members, when appropriate, provides a broader support context and contributes to a more comprehensive care strategy.
Support
The third pillar, Support, encompasses the practical and emotional assistance provided beyond immediate clinical treatment. This holistic component recognizes that illness creates burdens extending beyond physical symptoms. Support includes providing access to resources like financial counseling, social work services, and mental health support to address the social determinants of health. It also involves ensuring the physical environment of care is comforting, safe, and easily navigable.
Emotional support is delivered through empathetic communication, where providers acknowledge the patient’s fears and anxieties. This pillar ensures continuity of care by coordinating services across different departments and providers, minimizing fragmented care experiences. Practical support also involves connecting the patient with peer support groups or community resources for long-term recovery and management.
Empower
The final pillar, Empower, aims to equip the patient with the knowledge, confidence, and skills necessary to manage their own health and make informed choices independently. This process builds the patient’s self-efficacy and agency, going beyond mere information-giving. Patient education is tailored to the individual’s learning style and health literacy level, often utilizing the “teach-back” technique to confirm understanding. Empowerment is a continuous process that extends into the patient’s life at home.
Empowerment focuses on developing the patient’s self-management skills, particularly for those with chronic conditions. The provider serves as a coach, helping the patient set realistic health goals and develop problem-solving strategies for managing symptoms or medication schedules. An empowered patient has the confidence to advocate for their needs, ask clarifying questions, and take ownership of their long-term health trajectory.
Implementing RISE in Clinical Settings
Implementing the RISE framework requires a systemic shift in organizational culture, starting with comprehensive staff training across all roles. Training programs focus on enhancing communication skills, including active listening, demonstrating empathy, and utilizing motivational interviewing techniques. Many organizations adopt standardized communication approaches, such as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s SHARE approach, to facilitate consistent shared decision-making.
Healthcare organizations integrate RISE principles into operational policies by establishing formal mechanisms for soliciting and acting on patient feedback. This includes using patient advisory councils and real-time feedback tools to assess the patient experience and identify areas for improvement. Staff performance metrics are often aligned with patient-centered goals, rewarding providers who demonstrate high levels of involvement and satisfaction.
Technology plays a role by providing patients with secure access to their electronic health records, test results, and educational materials through patient portals. This transparency supports the “Involve” and “Empower” pillars by ensuring patients have the necessary information to participate in their care outside of the clinic visit. Organizational leaders are expected to model RISE behaviors, reinforcing the framework’s values and ensuring integration into all aspects of service delivery.
Enhancing the Patient Experience
The successful implementation of the RISE framework yields tangible benefits that significantly enhance the patient experience and clinical outcomes. Patients treated with respect and involved in their care report consistently higher satisfaction scores. This heightened satisfaction is closely linked to increased patient trust in their healthcare providers, which is foundational for a successful therapeutic relationship.
Improved patient empowerment and involvement directly impact adherence to treatment plans. Studies show increased medication adherence when patients are active participants in decision-making, contributing to better clinical outcomes, especially in chronic disease management. Furthermore, an engaged and informed patient acts as an extra layer of safety, leading to a reduction in medical errors. The collaborative nature of RISE also reduces patient anxiety and stress, decreasing decisional regret regarding treatment choices.