Table 1.

Eight Picker Dimensions articulated by the Picker Institute/Commonwealth Fund

Dimension	Dimension description
Respect	Respect for patient-centered values, preferences, and expressed needs, including awareness of quality-of-life issues, involvement in decision-making, dignity, and attention to patient needs and autonomy.
Coordination/Integration	Coordination and integration of care across clinical, ancillary, and support services and in the context of receiving “frontline” care.
Information/Communication/Education	Information, communication, and education on clinical status, progress, prognosis, and processes of care in order to facilitate autonomy, self-care, and health promotion.
Physical comfort	Physical comfort, including pain management, help with activities of daily living, and clean and comfortable surroundings.
Emotional support	Emotional support and alleviation of fear and anxiety about such issues as clinical status, prognosis, and the impact of illness on patients, their families, and their finances.
Family/Friends	Involvement of family and friends in decision-making and awareness and accommodation of their needs as caregivers.
Transition/Continuity	Transition and continuity as regards information that will help patients care for themselves away from a clinical setting, and coordination, planning, and support to ease transitions.
Access	Access to care, with attention to time spent waiting for admission or time between admission and placement in a room in the inpatient setting.