Linking evidence-based nursing practice and patient-centered care through patient preferences

Calls for both patient-centered care and evidence-based practice (EBP) have increased dramatically over the last decade despite a tension between the two. Patient preferences, one of the cornerstones of EBP, can provide the link between the two. Although current research supports the added value of patient preferences in care, there is currently a "gap" between EBP and patient-centered care, with the two often viewed as opposing ideas. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of patient preferences, summarize research on patient preferences, and discuss implications for nursing and nursing administration. Efforts to incorporate patient preferences into nursing care must be multifaceted, targeting multiple levels from individual nurses to organizations and systems. Four critical elements have been identified for integrating patient preferences into EBP: (1) health care redesign, (2) decision support, (3) empowered organizational culture, and (4) informed and empowered nurses.