Patient-centered care is an approach to healthcare that prioritizes the needs, preferences, and values of individual patients. It involves actively involving patients in their own care, respecting their autonomy, and providing personalized and compassionate treatment .
Key Principles of Patient-Centered Care
Respecting people’s values and preferences: Patient-centered care involves understanding and respecting the values, beliefs, and preferences of each individual patient .
Involving patients in decision-making: Healthcare professionals should actively involve patients in the planning and decision-making process regarding their care. This includes providing information about treatment options, prognosis, potential side effects, and costs, and encouraging patients to ask questions and make informed decisions .
Providing a safe and supportive environment: Patient-centered care includes creating a safe and supportive environment for patients. This can involve ensuring personal privacy, such as separate treatment rooms or screens, and offering the option to involve a support person or interpreter during consultations .
Benefits of Patient-Centered Care
Patient-centered care has been recognized as a foundation for safe and high-quality healthcare. It has several benefits, including:
Improved patient outcomes: Research shows that patient-centered care can lead to better health and well-being outcomes for patients.
Enhanced patient satisfaction: By involving patients in their own care and respecting their values and preferences, patient satisfaction can be increased .
Reduced healthcare costs: Patient-centered care has the potential to reduce healthcare costs by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery.
Implementation of Patient-Centered Care
To implement patient-centered care, healthcare organizations and professionals can:
Develop a workforce with person-centered skills: This involves training healthcare professionals to have the necessary behaviors, skills, and competencies to support and drive person-centered approaches to care .
Involve patients in decision-making: Healthcare professionals should actively involve patients in the planning and decision-making process regarding their care, ensuring that their preferences, needs, and values guide clinical decisions.
Create a supportive environment: Healthcare organizations should create an environment that respects patients’ privacy and provides a safe and supportive atmosphere for their care.