A new theoretical foundation for relationship-centered care. Complex responsive processes of relating

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Complexity theory
• Organizational behavior

Background:

• Relationship-centered care (RCC) emphasizes partnership, relational process, shared decision-making, and self-awareness in clinical practice.
• Existing theories may not fully capture the dynamic and emergent nature of human interaction within healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce complex responsive processes of relating (CRPR) as a theoretical framework for understanding relationship-centered care (RCC).
• To explore how CRPR's principles align with and provide support for the core tenets of RCC.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis and synthesis of complex responsive processes of relating (CRPR) and relationship-centered care (RCC).
• Examination of CRPR's concepts, including nonlinearity, self-organization, and moment-to-moment relational process.

Main Results:

• CRPR offers a robust theoretical foundation for RCC, explaining the emergence of meaning and relational patterns.
• The theory underscores the importance of authentic participation, diversity, and responsive engagement in interactions.
• CRPR provides new perspectives on the mind, self, communication, and organizational dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Complex responsive processes of relating (CRPR) provides strong theoretical confirmation and novel insights for relationship-centered care (RCC).
• Communications researchers and reflective practitioners can utilize CRPR to deepen their understanding of relational dynamics in healthcare.
• The alignment between CRPR and RCC supports the practical application of principles like authentic participation and valuing diversity.