O'Neil Center for Patient Engagement Research

Advancing the science of patient and family engagement

Connecting the art and science of patient engagement

The O’Neil Center for Patient Engagement Research is the industry’s first think tank for studying and advancing the science of patient and family engagement. Our team of clinical researchers translate patient engagement theory into practice, informing more effective healthcare management by:

Leveraging empirical evidence to validate the relationship between engagement of patients and their families and the resulting outcomes

Developing evidence-based tools and processes to help healthcare organizations drive more effective patient engagement strategies

Driving global industry thought leadership and best practices

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Key milestones

Everything we do is in partnership with our clients. Click below to see some of our achievements.

2014

JUNE
The O’Neil Center for Patient Engagement Research founded and named after GetWellNetwork Founder + CEO Michael O’Neil, a patient and cancer survivor
2015

OCTOBER
Published “Interactive Care Model: A Framework for More Fully Engaging People in Their Healthcare” in the Journal of Nursing Administration
2016

MARCH
Published “Patient and Family Engagement Summit: Needed Changes in Clinical Practice” in a special edition of the Journal of Nursing Administration
MARCH
Published “Nurse Manager Competencies Supporting Patient Engagement” in a special edition of the Journal of Nursing Administration
2017

MARCH
Completed Person Engagement Index™ instrumentation study and officially launched GetWell PEI™, a measurement tool to better understand a person’s capacity to engage in their healthcare journey, at The Beryl Institute’s annual Patient Experience Conference in Denver, Colo.
2018

JULY
Published “The Design and Testing of the Psychometric Properties of the Person Engagement Index Instrument to Measure a Person’s Capacity to Engage in Health Care.” in the Journal of Nursing Measurement
2019

MAY
Published “Innovative Collaborative Partnerships to Conduct Multisite Research: Strategies for Success.” In the Journal of Nursing Administration
2019

JULY
O’Neil Center/University of Pitt Fellows and O’Neil Center Researchers Published “Socio-demographic Predictors Associated with Capacity to Engage in Health Care.” in the Patient Experience Journal

O'Neil Center leadership

Dr. Ellen Swartwout, VP, research + analytics

Dr. Ellen Swartwout spearheads the O'Neil Center's multi-site clinical research agenda. Her work focuses on incorporating the voice of the patient into person and family engagement interventions. Her work includes developing the Person Engagement Index™ a measurement instrument to better understand a person’s capacity to engage in their healthcare journey.

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Dr. Karen Drenkard, strategic clinical advisor

Dr. Karen Drenkard is provides strategic clinical guidance on research initiatives. She helped launch the O'Neil Center in 2014 as GetWellNetwork's first chief clinical + nurse officer. Her research accomplishments include leading and developing the Interactive Care Model™, a framework for delivering more person-centric care, and the Person Engagement Index™, a measurement instrument to better understand a person’s capacity to engage in their healthcare journey.

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Clinical Advisory Council

The Clinical Advisory Council is an important component in the work of The O’Neil Center. The council develops standards, models, tools and research needs around patient engagement in an effort to advance the science of patient and family engagement. The Council is comprised of clinicians, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, nurse researchers and academics from the nation’s leading healthcare organizations and universities.

The Role of Nurse Executives in Patient Experience

A new paper produced by The Beryl Institute in conjunction with its Nurse Executive Council explores the role of nurse leadership and the impact and influence Nurse Executives can have in leading the fundamental practices and actions which drive experience success. Please use the following code to access a complimentary copy of the paper when checking out: 2019NURSEEXEC

Get the paper