Patient-centered care is an effective model for healthcare, especially for hospitalized patients who spend more time in health facilities. It ensures that patients receive high-quality care that they feel satisfied with and get excellent health outcomes. Healthcare providers play a vital role in implementing PCC. They ensure patients get involved in their treatment plan and uphold respect and dignity while providing healthcare services. They must work with the individual patient’s beliefs, values and needs.
Problem
Description of the problem
Patient-centered care involves treating patients with respect and dignity and involving them in medical decision-making. As an individual, a patient has the right to be respected and cared for and their dignity maintained.Healthcare providers must be flexible, respectful, and reciprocal to provide PCC effectively. They must involve patients and their families in treatment plans and let them control their treatment (Stewart et al., 2024). Patient-centered care is essential in ensuring increased patient satisfaction and effective health outcomes. Our group work focuses on interpreting the two articles identified as most important to the group topic.
Significance of the Problem
PCC is of great significance to patient health outcomes. It results in higher patient satisfaction levels, allowing patients to be involved in their treatment plans. PCC prioritizes patients’ preferences and values, which motivates them to adhere more to medications (Brown, 2020). Also, it reduces medical errors and complications, which is very important in reducing healthcare costs and achieving better clinical outcomes.
Purpose of the paper
This paper will interpret the two articles identified as most important to the group topic.
Evidence Matrix Table: Data Summary
The evidence Matrix table contains a description of the two most relevant articles for the focus of our group work. It includes a brief description of the article, its title, the purpose of the study, independent and dependent variables, sample size, data collection method, and the article’s significant findings. Please see Appendix A.
Synthesis of the Literature
In Rowe & Knox’s (2023) article, data analysis was reported by one of the researchers and confirmed by a second research study to increase conformability. The results were from 117 records obtained from different websites. It was noted that patient involvement in medical decision-making improved patient experience and satisfaction. Using digital aids at the bedside of hospitalized patients showed significant impacts since it maximized the time doctors spend with their patients. The excellent relationship created between physicians and patients as a result of patient-centered care alleviated patient’s anxiety and ultimately increased their satisfaction.
Brown’s (2020) article findings indicated that patient perceptions of the care provided were patient-centred and resulted in positive outcomes. Patients’ post-encounter levels of discomfort were lower when they perceived that the care was patient-centred. Patients who believed they received PCC received fewer referrals in the subsequent two months. Their proportion rose from 14.5% to 24.3%. It was found that the relationship was even more vital for the subscore on the patient’s perception that the patient and the doctor had agreed on the best treatment plan.
Variables
The independent variable in Rowe & Knox’s (2023) article was patient-centered care that was practiced through the involvement of patients during their medical decision-making and effective communication with healthcare providers. In Brown’s (2020) article, the independent variable was also patient-centered care that was ensured through proper communication between the physician and the patient. In both articles, the independent variable is similar since they look at the effect of patient-centred care on patient outcomes. However, the implementation of the independent variable in the two articles is different. In the first article, patient-centered care is achieved through patient involvement in decision-making, while in the second, it is through ineffective, ineffective co, communication, which is not specified. The dependent variable in Rowe & Knox’s (2023) article was the patient experience, while in Brown’s (2020) article, the dependent variable was patient outcomes.
Methods
In Rowe & Knox’s (2023) article, the study design is qualitative, in which non-numerical data, especially text, is collected and analyzed. The research design is being used to gather in-depth insight into the issue of patient-centered care among hospitalized patients. The study followed the PRISMA guidelines for their procedures. They performed an electronic literature search of eight scholarly databases, which included PubMed, Scopus, web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Medline, compendex, and Google Scholar. Filters were used to restrict results to English. The screening was then done to identify all relevant articles, followed by a qualitative synthesis of findings.
In Brown’s (2020) article, the study design was qualitative. Patients older than 18 with one or more recurring problems and those who could not answer questions were excluded. They were approached after being attended by the physician and were blind to the study hypothesis. A 3-minute interview was conducted with 354 participants, and data was audiotaped. The confidence level for this research was 95%.
Participants
Brown’s study (2020) participants were from London, Ontario, and Canada. They were male and female, over 18 years old. Participants were excluded from the study if they could not respond to the questions, were not fluent in English, and were cognitively impaired. In Rowe & Knox’s (2023) article, there was no direct participation of patients because the study involved an electronic literature search. The articles used had to be published less than five years ago, contain relevant information, and are written in English.
Instruments
The instruments used in Rowe & Knox’s (2023) article were Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Compendex, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. In Brown’s (2020) article, the instruments used were interviewing individual participants. In both articles, content and criterion validity and reliability were included.
Implications for Future Work
The research findings from the two articles provide evidence of the importance of patient-centered care. Providing PCC by involving patients in medical decision-making and creating a good relationship with them through effective communication results in patient satisfaction and positive health outcomes. This finding supports our clinical problem of prioritizing PCC. However, further evidence is needed to determine how PCC influences patient experience and outcomes.
Questions
- How do the different approaches used to address the issue of patient centered care impact patient satisfaction and outcome?
- How do factors like leadership support and workflow integration influence the implementation of patient-centered care within healthcare facilities?
Conclusion
Patient-centered care is an approach to healthcare that involves treating patients with respect and empathy and supporting them in making medical decisions. It ensures that patients are well informed about their medical condition and treatment to improve their satisfaction and health outcomes. The PCC approach has still not been ultimately adopted in most healthcare facilities. There is a need to address this issue to improve the quality of care. From the two identified articles, it is evident that PCC enhances patient satisfaction and outcomes. In the article by Rowe & Knox, involving patients in medical decision-making increases their satisfaction.
In contrast, in the article from Brown (2020), results indicate that when patients perceive care as PPC, their health outcomes are outstanding. In the two articles, independent variables, PCC, and dependent variables were patient experience and patient outcomes. Both articles utilized a qualitative study design, and participants were selected using different criteria.
References
Brown, C. (2020). Comparative effectiveness of patient-centered versus provider-centered care on clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients: A cohort study. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 15(4), 312-320
Rowe, A., & Knox, M. (2023). A Systematic Review to Understand the Implications for Patient-Centered Design on hospitalized patients. HERD, 16(2), 310–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867221137097
Stewart, M., Brown, J. B., Weston, W. W., Freeman, T., Ryan, B. L., McWilliam, C. L., & McWhinney, I. R. (2024). Patient-centered care transforming the clinical method. CRC press.
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