Caregivers and their care recipients rely on provincial healthcare systems and organizations more than other Canadians. For some, their daily lives can seem like a never-ending sequence of shuffling back and forth between different health and caregiving professionals.
Patient-centered care can help your loved one and you navigate the care system more easily. While there has been more emphasis on it, in theory, over the last two decades, it is not always put into practice.
Learn more about patient participation and why you as a caregiver and your loved one should adopt it as a cornerstone of care for your family.
What Is Patient-centered Care
In an article in BMC Health Services Research, the authors define patient-centered care as “providing care that is respectful of and responsive to an individual patient’s preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.”
Patient-centered care takes a holistic approach. It considers the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social needs of the care recipient, with the goal of attaining better health and personal outcomes.
At its core, patient-centered care insists that patients should be in full control of their own medical care and treatment.
Benefits of Patient-centered Care
Research consistently shows that when patients participate in health care and their preferences and values are respected and prioritized, they are several important benefits. These benefits include:
- Patients attend more appointments and are more proactive in their treatments.
- They are more likely to adhere to treatments, including medications.
- They recover more quickly.
- They rely less on healthcare resources.
- They are less likely to need readmission to the hospital after treatment.
- They have fewer emergency room visits.
- Patient-centered care decreases the workload and stress caregivers and health professional experience.
- Patient-centered care boosts caregivers’ and health professionals’ satisfaction with their roles.
- It improves overall health outcomes.
- In a socially funded healthcare system, it reduces the burden and increases cost-efficiency.
Room for Improvement
Patient-centered care can make a tremendous difference when trying to meet the goals such as better outcomes, less burden on caregivers and medical professionals. But it is less likely to meet these goals when the overall healthcare system is compromised.
While most Canadians (66 percent) are satisfied with their province’s healthcare system, according to an Ipsos poll, many are not satisfied (32 percent) or extremely dissatisfied (10 percent). Satisfaction has increased in some provinces, but in Alberta, at 65 percent, it has declined by six percent since 2020.
The same Ipsos poll revealed that 71 percent find the systems too bureaucratic to address patients’ needs quickly or adequately. Again, this compromises patient participation, or perhaps reflects a lack of emphasis on it.
Healthcare organizations that practice patient-centered care routinely experience greater health outcomes for their patients. Considering the rapidly aging population, it’s likely that more Canadians will be relying on hospitals and other medical facilities. This suggests a great urgency for them to adopt more patient-participation policies.
Challenges for Caregivers
While millions of Canadians benefit from existing healthcare systems, any deficiencies in these systems will not be addressed overnight. Yet, your needs as a caregiver and your loved one’s needs continue.
It’s essential that caregivers become advocates for their loved one’s participation in their own care. But in some cases, there might be barriers to overcome.
One critical hurdle is a lack of information. When you begin your caregiver journey, there is an opportunity for both of you to learn more about the healthcare system in your province and community. It’s also essential to learn as much as possible about any chronic illness or condition affecting your loved one.
A particularly challenging hurdle for patient-centered care is someone who either doesn’t want to be that involved in their own care or who is intimidated or confused by what they are experiencing.
In such a case, keep the lines of communication open. Actively encourage them to share their experiences with you. If they are reluctant to advocate for themselves within a healthcare setting, you can speak on their behalf using the insights they have given you.
As a caregiver, you witness daily what your loved one is coping with, for instance, if they are weaker, eating less, or having adverse reactions to medications. You are their eyes and ears.
So, you are well-positioned to keep medical and caregiving professionals well-informed so they can quickly and effectively address your loved one’s needs.
You can also share any information about a chronic illness with your loved one to help them feel more empowered to speak up on their behalf. Support groups for patients and health coaches can also facilitate this process.
Finally, always keep in mind that patient-centered care refers to your relationship as a caregiver with your loved one. As such, ensure that you respect your loved one’s needs and values. You will both be glad that you do.
