Patient Centered Care

Historically, medicine has been largely physician centered, but physicians have begun to incorporate patients' perspectives in ways that increasingly matter. Some call this shift "patient-centered" care (Laine & Davidoff, 1996). Patient centered care is now seen as a core value of medicine. Patients should be regarded as the physician’s first priority and all aspects of an individual such as their ideas, concerns, beliefs and expectations must be taken into account for quality care. Patient centered care provides the resources and support needed in order for them to participate in their own care. How is patient centered care achieved? J Oates et al. (2000) suggests that placing prime importance on the patients’ perceptions recognizes the influence

This is especially true in the management of chronic diseases and according to Rainer S Beck et al. (2002), when patients are informed and involved in decision making, they are more adherent to medical recommendations and carry out more health-related behavior change (e.g. exercise, smoking cessation, and dietary modification). Such joint decision making requires patients to be fully informed about alternatives and potential risks of treatment, and to have trust in their physician.

It is therefore up to the physician to make sure that the patient is able to fully understand their treatment in order to avoid inadvertent patient harm. The teach-back method is a great communication tool and an excellent way of addressing the patient’s level of understanding. This method is done by asking the patient to describe in his or her own words the key points of instruction for example how the medication will be taken or how a treatment will be carried out. Not only does this method give assurance to the doctor, it also improves the patient’s understanding in order to give a fully informed

(2000) and can be used to assist communication as it gives a clear structure for future consultations. The first step is setting up the interview which includes arranging for privacy and making sure that the patient is comfortable especially if sensitive topics will be discussed. This establishes patient rapport and allows the patient to be able to open up to the physician. The second step involves addressing the patient’s perception. I think this is an especially important step in ensuring patient centered care as it is the perfect opportunity for doctors not only to understand the patient by allowing them to talk, but also show genuine care by listening intently to their concerns. Open ended questions can be used to gauge how serious the patient perceives their medical situation. Obtaining the patients invitation is the third step and this helps the physician know whether the patient desires full disclosure of their medical condition.

The fourth step is giving knowledge and information to the patient and this can be improved by doing so in small chunks and pausing periodically to make sure the patient understands. It is also good to try using nontechnical