Positive Aspects of Patient-Centered Care
I’ve known for a while that involving the person and family/sig. other in their care produces a better outcome as far as understanding, co-operation and compliance goes.
The more common practice of thinking in terms of algorithms and treatments and diagnosing based on what a test says rather than what a person reports, results in the person being transformed into a one dimensional “patient”; without a voice. It is this limiting one-dimensional form of thinking, this stripping of a person of their voice and choice, that created the need for an advocate to take up the crusade of a weary and ill individual.
How effectively involving the person depends, though, on the person’s state of mind and their ability to feel like they are able to help with the plan of care; there may be circumstances that are overwhelming for the person, or their background may result in more of a “parent-child” perspective as far as interacting with health care providers. By that, I mean that the health care provider is seen as the parent, and the person assumes the role of the child.
I’m a bit late in writing this, but recently Karen Caffarini wrote an article on the American Medical Association (amednews.com) website about this and other aspects.
It seems that a study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine shows that involving persons in their care proves to be more cost-effective, and eliminates unnecessary diagnostic tests and referrals to specialists in order to arrive at the plan of care/course of treatment with confidence.
According to the article, the trend of patient-centered care appears to have gained more acceptance in the medical field, and in insurance industries.
For more details on the study findings on patient-centered care, please click the above link.
