Please tell us what does patient centered care mean to you and provide an example.
Paid by Cecilia Serrato
cserrato211@gmail.com
Patient-centered care is a critical component of healthcare that ensures that all patients have access to timely and quality health that respects their values and preferences. In patient-centered care, patients work with health care providers as partners, and providers serve the patients from clinical, financial, spiritual, mental, emotional, spiritual, and personal perspectives. This approach to care involves shared decision-making and active collaboration between providers, patients, families in formulating and managing a customized care plan. Patient-centered care involves giving patients, their families, and caretakers opportunities to contribute to care plan decisions and consult among themselves before making the decision. It also involves treating each patient as a unique individual and providing care that aligns with personal values, beliefs, and preferences. It also requires information sharing where the provider informs the patient about clinical observations, test results, and any data gathered by the patient’s care team, and all information relating to the patient’s condition. The provision of patient-centered care helps providers to understand patients as a whole, which improves health outcomes, especially for underserved communities with limited access to care.
As a healthcare professional in dentistry, I will be committed to providing patient-centered care by respecting and integrating patient’s values and preferences. I will also involve the patients and their families or caretakers in making decisions related to treatment and management of their conditions. I will treat every patient as a unique individual and understand each patient’s values and preferences in all care aspects. I will also constantly share information regarding a patient’s diagnosis and treatment options and care to keep them informed and empower them to take charge of their health and not be passive healthcare services recipients. To achieve the best oral health for the underserved populations, I will place patients at the center of decision-making and consider factors that affect their oral health in their communities. Practicing person-centered care in dentistry will involve collaborating with other healthcare professionals because oral diseases have similar causes with some chronic and non-communicable diseases. I will provide patients with oral health literacy to equip them with basic oral health information. This information will enable them to take care of their oral health and make appropriate oral health decisions.
My sister, Cathy, was diagnosed with lobular cancer two months ago and later underwent a mastectomy. The six doctors who have been treating her offer patient-centered care. For instance, the doctors have been communicating with her and the family about the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, and health promotion activities. Covid-19 has prevented family members from accompanying her during appointments, but the doctors have been allowing one family member to accompany her and participate in discussions and care decisions. The doctors have been offering patient-centered care by collaborating with Cathy and the family in making decisions and respecting the family’s values and preferences. The doctors have offered significant support and enabled Cathy to achieve positive mental health.
