How patient-centered care is transforming the healthcare industry

Learn why patient-centered care is important and how it’s impacting healthcare costs, patient outcomes, and provider workplaces

The benefits of patient-centered care extend beyond improved patient satisfaction; it leads to better health outcomes, increased efficiency, and reduced healthcare costs. For care teams, it encourages more effective communication and job satisfaction. Ultimately, adopting patient-centered care contributes to a more sustainable and effective healthcare system, benefiting individuals, companies, communities, and society as a whole. 

What is patient-centered care?

Patient-centered care is a holistic approach to healthcare that emphasizes the importance of understanding and respecting each patient’s unique needs, values, and preferences. Placing patients at the center of their care ensures that decisions and treatments are tailored to the individual, fostering a collaborative environment between patients and healthcare providers. 

Why is patient-centered care important? 

Patient-centered care is crucial as it prioritizes the patient’s preferences, needs, and values in healthcare decisions, leading to more personalized and effective care. This method enhances patient satisfaction, improves outcomes, and enables better adherence to treatment plans. Involving patients in their care strengthens the patient-provider relationship and promotes a more efficient healthcare system. 

If you’re interested in learning how this approach can transform the healthcare experience for patients, caregivers, and providers alike, keep reading to dive deeper into the principles and practices that make patient-centered care so impactful.

What are the key elements of patient-centered care?

Research by the Picker Institute has delineated eight dimensions of patient-centered care, including: 

• Respect for patient’s values, preferences, and expressed needs

• Information and education

• Access to care

• Emotional support and alleviation of fear and anxiety 

• Involvement of family and friends

• Continuity and secure transition between healthcare settings

• Physical comfort

• Coordination of care [1]

These elements serve as foundational principles guiding the implementation of patient-centered methods within healthcare settings.

Patient-centered outcomes

This approach fosters a collaborative environment where trust-based relationships between patients and healthcare providers are paramount. By actively involving patients in the decision-making process regarding their treatment options, patient-centered care makes individuals feel more engaged and empowered.  

A systematic review totaling 115 controlled studies and involving 34,444 participants reported that shared decision-making improves the patient experience of care. [2] 

Patients who are engaged in their care tend to adhere more closely to treatment plans, experience higher levels of satisfaction, and ultimately achieve better health results. This empowerment is crucial, as it enhances patients’ understanding and knowledge about their own health conditions and treatment pathways. Such an inclusive procedure not only respects patients’ preferences and values but also significantly contributes to better health outcomes. 

The positive impact of patient-centered care on outcomes underlines the importance of this approach in the evolution of healthcare systems, ensuring that care is both effective and empathetic.

A better work environment for providers

Adopting a personalized technique in healthcare enables providers to forge meaningful connections with their patients, allowing for a comprehensive consideration of all aspects of a patient’s health during medical consultations. This depth of interaction means that providers might see fewer patients each day, but the quality of care and attention to detail significantly increases. 

This reduction in the number of daily patient consultations can lead to a decrease in provider burnout, as it alleviates the pressure and stress associated with high patient volumes. It can be a huge adjustment to go from seeing 30 patients a day to 10 to 15. Seeing fewer patients enhances their ability to connect more deeply and assist patients holistically, reigniting their passion for pursuing a career in healthcare. 

Furthermore, this method contributes to a more fulfilling and rewarding professional experience for healthcare providers. By focusing on the quality of care rather than the quantity, healthcare professionals can ensure that each patient receives the attention and tailored care they deserve, enhancing job satisfaction and promoting a healthier work-life balance for providers. 

The financial impacts of patient-centered care

Patient-centered healthcare proves to be cost-effective in the long run by prioritizing preventive care and early intervention, which are key to maintaining health and preventing serious conditions. This approach leads to better patient outcomes by addressing health issues at their root, reducing the need for unnecessary procedures and hospitalizations. 

Related resource:
How our employer-sponsored health clinics help you manage healthcare costs  

By focusing on the individual needs of patients and involving them in their care decisions, patient-centered healthcare not only improves health outcomes but also minimizes overall healthcare expenses. The emphasis on early treatment and prevention helps avoid the escalation of health issues, which, in turn, leads to significant savings on costly medical interventions and extended hospital stays. 

Our commitment to advanced primary care

At WeCare tlc, providing high-quality primary care to our client’s employees and their families at our health centers across the country is of the utmost importance to our team.

We do so by providing our patients with:

• Greater accessibility
• Better doctor-patient relationships
• Nurse coaching program
• Referral management
• Disciplined focus on health improvement
• Patient-centered experience

Our team is also adopting guidelines from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) across our organization. As a private, nonprofit entity focused on enhancing healthcare quality, NCQA offers guidelines and performance metrics that help primary care organizations like ours deliver top-notch, patient-centered care. These standards, covering areas such as diabetes management, cardiovascular prevention, and behavioral health, ensure we meet or surpass industry benchmarks for quality care.

Ready to create a healthier workforce?
Contact us today or explore our case studies to learn more.

Sources:

1: National Library of Medicine | A 2020 Vision of Patient-Centered Primary Care
2: National Library of Medicine | Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions