The evidence for patient centred care

18 July 2016

The evidence for patient centred care and why looking after front line health staff supports it

If patient centred care is ultimately determined by the quality of the interaction between patient and doctor, the first question to address is how good that interaction is.

That’s the focus of a second discussion paper on patient centred care published today by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), called ‘Why is patient centred care so important?’

The paper was written by ASMS Policy and Research Director Lyndon Keene and can be viewed online at http://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Why-is-patient-centred-care-so-important-issue-2_165838.4.pdf.

“This paper is part of an important ongoing discussion the ASMS is keen to have about why patient centred care matters and how we can achieve it,” says Angela Belich, ASMS Deputy Executive Director.

“It’s about putting the patient at the heart of the public health system and ensuring that the people who treat them – the senior doctors and dentists, and all of the other health professionals – have the support, resources and working conditions to enable this to happen.

“Patient centred care is about quality, clinician-led engagement, timely and equitable access to care, continuity of care, and having a supported workforce.”

The paper argues that there is growing evidence about the many benefits of good interaction between patients and doctors. For example, the quality and safety of health care rises, costs decrease, and doctor and patient satisfaction increase. Good patient-doctor interaction can improve patients’ health outcomes and also reduce medical error rates.

“It’s important to understand, however, that if we want to achieve patient centred care then we also have to look after the staff providing it,” says Ms Belich. “The ability of senior doctors to care effectively for patients is compromised if they do not feel cared for themselves.”

ENDS

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