Patient-centred care and improving health outcomes

The challenge of healthcare is to customize recommended guidelines to the individual's circumstance and the needs of a patient.  http://goo.gl/GHIbh

Two studies provide some insight as to how this may be improved. 

A study by Weiner and his colleagues confirmed what most would expect - that attention to patient needs and circumstances when planning care is associated with improved health care outcomes.  http://goo.gl/RnQhy

In an earlier study Schreiber and colleagues found 72% of patients ranked health care professionals among their top three sources of information.  Despite this, 56% stated that they did not see their doctor or specialist nurse on a regular basis.  Amongst “dissatisfied” patients, only 35% discussed their dissatisfaction with their doctor.*    http://goo.gl/WzomV

So whilst the authors suggested physicians and nurses may underestimate patients' symptom burden, it also has to be considered patients don't know what about their context is relevant.  For example, if a patient has diminishing cognitive abilities, they may not connect this to their diabetes going out of control.

Increased number of HCP’s would clearly be a significant help but in the absence of this, but differences could be addressed through improved communication between patients and their physician or specialist nurse (including more regular visits), and better education.

* 45% of patients reported Web sites as another top source of information.

REFERENCES:

Patient-centered care linked to better outcomes.  Andrew M. Seaman, NEW YORK (Reuters Health Tue, Apr 16 17:05 PM EDT)

Patient-Centered Decision Making and Health Care Outcomes: An Observational Study.  Saul J. Weiner. Annals of Internal Medicine, online April 16, 2013. 

Perception gaps between patients with ulcerative colitis and healthcare professionals:  an online survey.  Stefan Schreiber.  BMC Gastroenterology 2012, 12:108