[Patient-centredness in rehabilitation : an overview on the current state of research]

This article provides an overall perspective of the concept of patient-centredness in health care. After discussing the social factors that significantly contribute to this topic, the authors refer to a definition by Mead and Bower in their understanding of patient-centredness. They distinguished five facets of patient-centredness, namely the biopsychosocial perspective, seeing the patient as an individual person, sharing power and responsibility (e.g. shared decision-making), consideration of the patient-treatment provider relationship and regarding the treatment provider as a person. The authors discuss why approaches employing patient-centred care seem particularly well-suited to a rehabilitation context and emphasize the value and benefit of patient-centred care. They describe those areas currently engaging the greatest research efforts in Germany by providing an overview of projects now being conducted in the funding priority for chronic illnesses and patient orientation. In the final chapter the authors consider the need for further research as well as the potential adverse side effects associated with intensified patient-centred care.