In January 2024 the Public Health Institute of Georgia launched the Patient and Family Council (PFC) model, giving patients and families a structured voice in hospital policy, communication and safety. Councils have been active in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi; the first council meeting brought together five MedCenter facilities in Batumi (source: PFC programme page).
Patient engagement is one of the most effective ways to make care safer. The World Health Organization estimates that good patient engagement can reduce the burden of harm by up to 15% (source: WHO, Patient safety fact sheet).
The councils are part of PHIG’s pillar on Quality, Safety & People-centred Care.
Patient and Family Councils (PFCs) are a structured governance mechanism — standard in accredited hospitals internationally — through which patients and their families participate in hospital quality improvement processes. In accredited systems, PFCs review complaint patterns, contribute to the design of patient information materials, advise on discharge processes, and flag safety concerns that clinical staff may not observe directly.
The Georgian pilot, supported by PHIG and ASF, established councils in three Tbilisi hospitals. Each council meets quarterly, is chaired by a patient representative, and has a formal reporting line to the hospital’s quality and safety committee. Participating hospitals receive support from PHIG in training patient representatives and structuring the council’s terms of reference.
The programme is the first patient governance initiative in Georgia designed to produce reproducible results across different hospital contexts. PHIG intends to include PFC establishment as a requirement within the ASF hospital accreditation standard from the 2026 revision cycle, making patient representation a condition of accreditation rather than an optional feature.
Professor, David Tvildiani Medical University | Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia | Founder, Accréditation Sans Frontières
