Patient-centered care

Patient-centered care presumes active involvement of patients and their families in the design of new care models and in decision-making about individual options for treatment. Given that non-consumer stakeholders often don't know what matters most to patients regarding their ability to get and stay well,^[1] care that is truly patient-centered cannot be achieved without active patient engagement at every level of care design and implementation. The IOM (Institute of Medicine) defines patient-centered care as: Health care that establishes a partnership among practitioners, patients, and their families (when appropriate) to ensure that decisions respect patients’ wants, needs, and preferences and that patients have the education and support they need to make decisions and participate in their own care.^[2] Patient-centered care is also one of the overreaching goals of health advocacy, in addition to safer medical systems, and greater patient involvement in healthcare delivery and design.^[3]

There are 4 key attributes of patient-centered care:^[4]

• "Whole-person" care
• Coordination and communication
• Patient support and empowerment
• Ready access

Patient-centered care is about much more than simply educating patients about a diagnosis, potential treatment, or healthy behavior. It does not mean giving patients whatever they want; rather, patients want guidance from their care providers, but they expect that guidance to be provided in the context of full and unbiased information about options, benefits, and risks. “Patient-centered” means considering patients’ cultural traditions, personal preferences and values, family situations, social circumstances and lifestyles, as used by the Institute of Medicine and Institute for Healthcare Improvement.^[5] A 2001 Institute of Medicine report identified a focus on patient-centered care as one of six interrelated factors constituting high-quality health care.^[2]

Don Berwick, formerly of IHI, defined patient-centered care as: The experience (to the extent the informed, individual patient desires it) of transparency, individualization, recognition, respect, dignity, and choice in all matters, without exception, related to one’s person, circumstances, and relationships in health care.^[6]

Patient-centered care is also about empowering patients by giving the right weight to their opinions about the health-care system.^[7][8]

In its Declaration on Patient-Centred Healthcare, The International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO) states that the essence of patient-centered healthcare is that the healthcare system is designed and delivered to address the healthcare needs and preferences of patients so that healthcare is appropriate and cost-effective. The Declaration sets out five principles of patient-centered healthcare: respect; choice and empowerment; patient involvement in health policy; access and support and information.^[9]

References