Angel McGarrity-Davis, RN, CDONA, NHA

Can you give some highlights on patient-centered care?   

Examples of person- and family-centered care include patient and family engagement in care, care based on patient essentials and preferences, shared decision-making, and initiation for self-care management. 

Assessments, interventions and plans of care should acknowledge and address medical, behavioral and social needs, and should reflect the ability or willingness of the care recipient to be an effective contributor in making healthcare decisions. 

The process of plan of care’s goal-setting should be a collective one driven by the patient in collaboration with the primary care provider and multidisciplinary team members. Examples of the patient’s needs requiring consideration within “Patient-Centered Care” are as follows:

  Cultural — Recognize  religious dignity, language, and culture

  Psychosocial — Mental health, advanced directives, cognitive impairment 

  Physiological — Diagnosis, medical follow-up, symptoms, care options 

  Beneficiary — Empowerment, education, respect for wishes, informed consent

  Family — Identification of assistance, education, caregivers needs

  Coordination — Multidisciplinary team approach

  Environmental — Least restrictive environment, lawn, pets, meals, etc.

  Spiritual — Assess and intervene with their wishes of spiritual needs 

  Financial — Must take into account what financial resources are available to them  

There are many more aspects of patient-centered care. Until we care for the “whole” person, using the multidisciplinary team, we’ll never fix healthcare.