The Rise of Person-Centered Care in Healthcare
In the past, healthcare was often focused on treating diseases rather than people. Patients were viewed as passive recipients of care rather than active participants in their health. However, in recent years, there has been a shift towards a more patient-centered approach to healthcare. Patient-centeredness has long been recognized as a desirable attribute of health care. Proponents have described patient-centered care as that which honours patients' preferences, needs, and values, applies a biopsychosocial perspective rather than a purely biomedical perspective, and forges a strong partnership between patient and clinician.
Patient-centred care is an approach to healthcare that puts the patient at the centre of their care. It is about understanding and addressing the unique needs and preferences of each patient and involving them in the decision-making process. Patient-centred care is more than just treating a disease or a set of symptoms. It is about treating the whole person, considering their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. It is about providing care that is compassionate, respectful, and personalized.
Why is Person-Centered Care Gaining Momentum?
- Safe: avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them.
- Effective: providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit.
- Patient-centred: providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.
- Timely: reducing waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care.
- Efficient: avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies, ideas, and energy.
- Equitable: providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.
The Role of Healthcare Compliance in Person-Centered Care
People-centred health care is rooted in universally held values and principles which are enshrined in international law, such as human rights and dignity, non-discrimination, participation and empowerment, access and equity, and a partnership of equals. This shift not only enhances the patient experience but also aligns with healthcare compliance standards, ensuring that care delivery meets both ethical and regulatory expectations. It aims to achieve better outcomes for individuals, families, communities, health practitioners, healthcare organizations and health systems by promoting the following:
- Culture of care and communication: Healthcare users are informed and involved in decision-making and have choices; providers show respect for their privacy and dignity and holistically respond to their needs.
- Responsible, responsive and accountable services and institutions: Providing affordable, accessible, safe, ethical, effective, evidence-based and holistic health care.
- Supportive health care environments: Putting in place appropriate policies and interventions, positive care and work environments, strong primary care workforce, and mechanisms for stakeholders’ involvement in health services planning, policy development and feedback for quality improvement.
Implementing Person-Centered Care
Competent health practitioners are required to deliver health care that is responsive to the needs, preferences and expectations of people accessing health services. The most effective and appropriate intervention in this domain is appropriate education and training of health practitioners.
The way health care delivery is organized and managed can provide incentives for the delivery of quality health care, as well as address the fragmentation of care resulting from numerous health providers offering services from different, limited speciality perspectives or programme areas. At the institutional level, there is a need to adopt measures that respond to the needs of patients, health practitioners and other staff. Effective interventions at the organizational level specifically relate to physical environments, service coordination and continuity of care, multi-disciplinary collaboration and partnerships, patient education and counselling, models of care, incentives for safe, quality and ethical services, and leadership capacity.
Policies relating to the organization, delivery and financing of health care have not been optimal. It is imperative to involve stakeholders not only in the health sector but also in other sectors whose work impacts health outcomes and health status. A supportive health system will ensure that interventions implemented at the organizational, health practitioner and health consumer levels are effective.
Conclusion
The rise of person-centred care marks a significant advancement in the healthcare industry. By aligning this approach with healthcare compliance, organizations can enhance patient satisfaction, improve outcomes, and meet regulatory requirements. The benefits also spill over to the provider side in terms of provider satisfaction, patient trust and loyalty, good public reputation, and a cost-effective and sustainable health system resulting from appropriate healthcare use by empowered patients, families and communities.
2024-12-18 Reply
This is such an insightful and timely article! I appreciate how the article highlights the integration of patient preferences, needs, and values into clinical decisions.