Table 1.

Glossary of terms

Term	Definition
Centering the margins	Centering decision-making around the needs of the most structurally marginalised.23
Community table model of patient engagement	An independent table of patient partners united by a shared purpose, value or identity. The model emphasises inclusivity, equity and shared decision-making by creating a safe and accessible space for diverse people and communities.
Diverse	The representation and inclusion of various gender identities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities and other intersectional identities.
Health system partner	People in the healthcare system who engage with patient partners for clinical practice, research or policy.
Influence	Social power where a social relation between two or more individuals determines an outcome such as a decision.
Institutional patient engagement model	The engagement of patient partners in healthcare institutions where patient partner perspectives can influence decision-making and project outcomes, encompassing research and institutional policy and/or clinical practice.
Patient	Describes a person with experience of a healthcare issue—including caregivers, families and friends.1
Patient partner	A term used to describe a variety of decision-making roles held by patients that encompass clinical practice, policy and research.
Power	The ability (agency) of an individual (an agent) to act. Power is mediated through social relations and legitimised through social processes such as language, policies and the production of knowledge.15–18 23
Power over	The asymmetric relationship between two or more agents in a group such that one can influence the outcome over the other.15–17
Power to	The ability of an agent to create an outcome.15–17
Power Wheel	A conceptual tool that can be used to analyse the interspersion of power in places and spaces of patient engagement.
Power with	The ability of a group to act and mobilise together towards a collective outcome.15–17
Quintuple aim	The Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s framework for improving patient experience, population health, work–life of healthcare providers, reducing costs and promoting equity.
Social inequities	Describes the unequal distribution of power, privilege and prestige across a society. Individuals who occupy positions of social advantage by virtue of their personal wealth and credentials are more able to access resources and services thereby creating further differentiation between social groups.11
Social structural inequities	Refers to the hierarchical ordering of people based on their position in society that is determined by their level of power, prestige and privilege. When social inequality becomes systematically entrenched in a society such that it is institutionalised into policies and procedures that continue to differentiate between social groups, it is called social structural inequality or social stratification.11
Structurally marginalised	Individuals or groups who experiencing systemic disadvantages and exclusion due to entrenched societal structures, policies, and practices. These structures often perpetuate inequality and limit access to resources, opportunities and rights based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexuality, class or disability.