Introduction
The paper targets to discuss the patient-centered care model the effective application of which can improve the outcomes of the healthcare delivery significantly. The concept of patient-centered care implies both performance and cost-related benefits. Hence, it is critical to analyze the elements that this model comprises and the key mechanisms that can ensure its successful implementation.
In the context of the entire healthcare system, it is professional nurses that are associated with the patient-centered care model most closely. Thus, the implementation of this concept targets to develop nursing communicative and professional competencies, letting them learn to perform grounded decision-making and improve the quality of the care delivery.
Patient-Centered Care and the Associated Outcomes
Most importantly, the implementation of a patient-centered care model allows establishing trust and agreement in the context of patient-nurse relations. Hence, within this care system, a patient is expected to acquire a better understanding of the disease-related aspects, while a nurse is supposed to develop a more accurate targeting of the patient’s needs.
Another positive outcome related to the patient-centered care model is quality feedback. Hence, the system implies a closer interaction between patients and nurses so that the feedback the latter collect is more concise and relevant. Effective feedback analysis, in its turn, can lead to improving the care delivery system in general.
Lastly, the patient-centered care model can assist in making the healthcare system more available. Thus, this format implies improved care coordination: distance consultations, telephone appointments, and group meetings. The reorganization of the common workflow is likely to result in a more efficient resource allocation.
Main Barriers to the Implementation of Patient-Centered Care System
One of the key barriers to the implementation of patient-centered care model is the lack of a proper cultural competence in nurses. Since this format implies improved communication strategies, nurses must have a clear vision of the culture-related specificities of their patients.
Since the implementation of the patient-centered care model implies the change of the commonly established work pattern, employees are likely to show resistance to the proposed change. Nurses need to acquire a full understanding of the model’s value to ensure its successful integration.
At the early stages of the model implementation, additional resources might be required to help the employees adapt to the change and get acquainted with the key principles associated with patient-centered care. Meanwhile, in a future perspective, the model will help to reduce the operational costs by improving the workflow structure and the resource allocation system.
Conclusion
The patient-centered care model is a set of care principles targeted to improve and optimize the process of care delivery. The major benefits that it implies are trustful nurse-patients relations, relevant feedback, and enhanced care availability. The key barriers to its implementation are the lack of cultural competence in nurses, employee resistance to the change of work pattern, and additional expenses.
The patient-centered care model is an important concept that can help to align care delivery with the needs of modern society. The efficacy of this model within different dimensions – patient relations, resource allocation, etc. – is evidenced by numerous research and empirical studies. To use the model effectively, it is essential to understand the underlying principles and the key mechanisms of its functioning.
Reference List
Jayadevappa, R., & Chhatre, S. (2011). Patient centered care – a conceptual model and review of the state of the art. The Open Health Services and Policy Journal, 4(1), 15-25.