Patient Centred Approach
Patient Centred Approach.
DOCTORS AND SOCIETY
Patient empowerment—a patient-centred approach to improve care
Introduction
Health care managers in different parts of the world are facing similar challenges of increasing demand for health services, pressure to improve the quality of service for patients, to create more responsive organisations, and to contain costs. This paper examines the patient empowerment concept and how this important concept can be translated to improve the delivery of patient-centred care. public in policy-making, as well as taking more responsibility for maintaining their own health, with a move towards increased public responsibility in health care management, are also means of cost-containment. The basis underlying all such involvement is the need for a patient to take an informed stance and make an informed choice. This involves not only health care professionals interacting with patients, but also a conscious effort at the policy-making level to ensure that such informed participation is possible. Patient charters and patient empowerment acts have been drawn up, for example in the US, to ensure that people have the right to self-determination and power over their health decision.
Definition
The word empowerment has been broadly defined as an enabling process through which individuals or communities take control of their lives and their environment. The word empowerment builds upon the Latin root passe, from which we derive both the word power and the word freedom.1 Patient empowerment in the health care context means to promote autonomous self-regulation so that the individual’s potential for health and wellness is maximised. Patient empowerment begins with information and education and includes seeking out information about one’s own illness or condition, and actively participating in treatment decisions. Empowerment requires an individual to take care of one’s self and make choices about care from among the options
DOCTORS AND SOCIETY
Patient empowerment—a patient-centred approach to improve care
Introduction
Health care managers in different parts of the world are facing similar challenges of increasing demand for health services, pressure to improve the quality of service for patients, to create more responsive organisations, and to contain costs. This paper examines the patient empowerment concept and how this important concept can be translated to improve the delivery of patient-centred care. public in policy-making, as well as taking more responsibility for maintaining their own health, with a move towards increased public responsibility in health care management, are also means of cost-containment. The basis underlying all such involvement is the need for a patient to take an informed stance and make an informed choice. This involves not only health care professionals interacting with patients, but also a conscious effort at the policy-making level to ensure that such informed participation is possible. Patient charters and patient empowerment acts have been drawn up, for example in the US, to ensure that people have the right to self-determination and power over their health decision.
Definition
The word empowerment has been broadly defined as an enabling process through which individuals or communities take control of their lives and their environment. The word empowerment builds upon the Latin root passe, from which we derive both the word power and the word freedom.1 Patient empowerment in the health care context means to promote autonomous self-regulation so that the individual’s potential for health and wellness is maximised. Patient empowerment begins with information and education and includes seeking out information about one’s own illness or condition, and actively participating in treatment decisions. Empowerment requires an individual to take care of one’s self and make choices about care from among the options