Patient & Family Advisory Council Charter Template and Meeting Kit

Welcome — Using this PFAC Kit

This kit helps teams create and run a Patient & Family Advisory Council (PFAC) that genuinely partners with patients and families to co-design services, improve experience, and make measurable change. It contains a complete sample charter and terms of reference, confidentiality guidance, recruitment scripts, an onboarding checklist, six ready-to-run meeting agendas with discussion prompts, and a small starter project (discharge instructions redesign) with roles, timeline, and measures of success.

How to use this kit: copy the charter and adapt terminology to match your organization, use the recruitment scripts to invite members, run the first meetings using the agendas, and launch the starter project to build momentum. Refer to the "Avoiding Tokenism" section while recruiting and planning.

Why PFACs Matter

PFACs bring lived experience into design, uncover hidden problems, validate new ideas, and improve trust between care teams and communities. A well-run PFAC helps reduce wasteful rework, improves patient-centered outcomes, and surfaces meaningful improvement opportunities.

Sample Charter (Template)

Purpose: The Patient & Family Advisory Council (PFAC) provides regular, structured input from patients, families, and caregivers to inform service design, policies, communications, and improvement projects that affect patient experience and safety.

Scope: The PFAC may advise on facility design, patient communications, discharge processes, care transitions, scheduling, signage, educational materials, and improvement projects directed by the organization. The PFAC is advisory and does not replace clinical decision-making or regulatory governance.

Membership: Up to 12 members composed of patients, family members, caregivers, and 2–4 staff liaisons (quality, patient experience, and clinical representative). Membership seeks diversity in age, language, care experiences, and equity representation. Terms are 12 months with option to renew once.

Meetings: Monthly or bi-monthly (decide locally). Typical meetings run 60–90 minutes with an agenda shared one week in advance and notes circulated within five days.

Decision-making: Recommendations are formed by consensus; staff will respond to recommendations with action, rationale, or next steps within a agreed timeframe.

Compensation & Support: Reimbursement for parking/public transit, modest stipend or gift card where appropriate, and reasonable accommodations (interpreters, accessible locations, childcare support) to reduce participation barriers.

Terms of Reference & Role Expectations

• Members bring lived experience and a willingness to collaborate respectfully.
• Members commit to confidentiality where required and to preparing for meetings.
• Staff liaisons will prepare agendas, provide background materials, summarize decisions, and follow up on action items.
• Each meeting will identify 1–2 tangible tasks or recommendations that staff own and report back on.

Confidentiality Guidance

Some discussions may touch on confidential or personal health information. Use this short confidentiality statement (adapt as needed):

"PFAC participants may hear about real patient experiences and sensitive topics. Members agree to keep any personally identifying information shared in meetings private. Staff will anonymize clinical details when possible. This council does not access medical records without appropriate permissions and approvals."

Provide a simple written confidentiality agreement for members to sign. Include how to raise concerns about confidentiality if they occur.

Recruitment Scripts

Adapt these scripts for email, phone, and flyers.

Email (Short)

Subject: Invitation to Join Our Patient & Family Advisory Council
Hello [Name],
We value your experience and invite you to join our Patient & Family Advisory Council to help improve care for patients and families. Meetings are monthly, 60–90 minutes, and we provide travel reimbursement and support. If interested, reply to this email and we’ll share more details. Thank you—[Staff Name, Role].

Phone (Brief)

Hi [Name], I’m [Name] from [Organization]. We’re starting a Patient & Family Advisory Council and would value your perspective on [topic]. Meetings are [frequency]. Would you be interested in learning more?

Flyer/Poster Blurb

Share your experience. Join our PFAC. Help shape care that works for patients and families. Contact [email/phone]. Supports and reimbursement available.

Onboarding Checklist for New Members

• Welcome email with charter and meeting schedule
• Short orientation packet: purpose, expectations, confidentiality statement, contact list
• Intro call with staff liaison to answer questions
• Accessibility needs and supports confirmed (language, transport, hearing, vision)
• First-meeting brief: topic, relevant background, goals for the meeting

Six Meeting Agendas (First Meetings)

Each agenda below is built for a 60–90 minute meeting. Share materials one week in advance and assign a staff note-taker.

Meeting 1 — Introductions & Purpose

1. Welcome, land acknowledgements or accessibility notes (5 minutes)
2. Introductions: members briefly share their interest/experience (20 minutes)
3. Review charter, terms, and confidentiality (10 minutes)
4. Set council priorities & topics members care about (20 minutes)
5. Agree next steps and communications cadence (5 minutes)

Meeting 2 — How the System Works & Where PFAC Helps

1. Short presentation: organization structure and current improvement processes (15 minutes)
2. Discuss barriers patients see in navigation, communication, or discharge (30 minutes)
3. Prioritize 1–2 project ideas for PFAC involvement (15 minutes)

Meeting 3 — Communications & Patient-Facing Materials

1. Review sample patient letters, brochures, or signage (20 minutes)
2. Group critique: what works / what confuses / how to improve (25 minutes)
3. Assign small task: revise one item for next meeting (10 minutes)

Meeting 4 — Small Project Kickoff (e.g., Discharge Instructions)

1. Present project goals, timeline, and roles (10 minutes)
2. Workshop current discharge instructions: clarity, language, steps (35 minutes)
3. Agree on next steps and who will test revised drafts with patients (15 minutes)

Meeting 5 — Feedback on Drafts & Testing Findings

1. Share user-testing results or member feedback (20 minutes)
2. Refine drafts and plan implementation steps (30 minutes)
3. Identify success measures and reporting cadence (10 minutes)

Meeting 6 — Reflection, Outcomes, and Celebration

1. Review what changed because of PFAC input and what’s next (20 minutes)
2. Collect member reflections: what worked, what to improve (25 minutes)
3. Plan communications to broader organization and celebrate contributions (15 minutes)

Small Project Starter: Discharge Instructions Redesign

This is a compact, high-impact starter project to create visible wins and demonstrate PFAC value.

Goal

Make discharge instructions clear, patient-friendly, and actionable to improve understanding and reduce avoidable returns.

Timeline (8 weeks)

1. Week 1: Present current instruction set and problems (PFAC meeting)
2. Weeks 2–3: PFAC and staff co-design draft (small working group)
3. Week 4: Rapid user testing with 10 patients/families
4. Week 5: Revise based on testing
5. Week 6: Staff review and approvals
6. Week 7: Pilot in one unit or clinic
7. Week 8: Evaluate pilot and plan wider rollout

Roles & Responsibilities

• PFAC members: provide lived-experience input, co-write plain-language text, participate in user testing.
• Staff liaison (quality/patient experience): coordinate, collect baseline materials, manage approvals.
• Clinical lead: ensure clinical accuracy and sign-off.
• Communications: format final materials and support distribution.

Success Measures

• Patient understanding measured by post-discharge follow-up (e.g., % reporting they understood next steps)
• Readmission or return visit rates for the pilot population (as appropriate and feasible)
• Staff and patient satisfaction with instructions (brief survey)

Avoiding Tokenism — Practical Tips

• Involve PFAC early in design decisions, not only for final feedback.
• Give real assignments with deadlines and visible ownership.
• Respond to PFAC recommendations with documented action or reasoned explanation.
• Provide supports that make participation genuine (compensation, transport, interpreters).
• Measure and publish PFAC-driven changes so members see impact.

Meeting Minutes Template (Brief)

Title / Date / Attendees / Key topics / Decisions & recommendations / Action owners & due dates / Next meeting date

Evaluation & Reporting

Track a small set of indicators to demonstrate PFAC value: number of recommendations made, percent implemented or progressed, time to response from staff, pilot outcomes (e.g., improved patient understanding), and member retention. Report these quarterly to show impact.

Next Steps & How to Tailor

Start with a 6- to 8-week pilot focusing on one small project. After the pilot, adapt meeting frequency, membership size, and charter items to local needs. Consider creating subgroups (communication review, patient journey mapping) when topic demand grows.

Attachments & Copyable Templates

Include as attachments in your implementation pack (or copy/paste into your documents):

• Full charter text (above) in a ready-to-edit document
• Confidentiality agreement template
• Email and phone recruitment scripts (text versions)
• Onboarding packet checklist (editable)
• Agenda and minute templates (editable)
• Project starter worksheet for discharge instructions (editable)

Final Note

This kit is a practical starting point. After you run the early meetings and the starter project, capture what worked and adapt the charter, agendas, and supports to your context. Real co-design grows when councils have clear tasks, visible outcomes, and organizational commitment.