New roles for health care consumers: a study of role transformation.

The increased emphasis on citizen participation in health planning has caused changes in the traditional roles of health professionals and their clients. Interaction patterns between health care providers and health care consumers as members of planning boards are examined in two health-related organizations: a comprehensive health planning council and a low-income neighborhood health center. Eighteen months of observation, supplemented with an analysis of official records and interviews, provide the basis for the discussion.