A person-centred Approach to holistic Assessment

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Healthcare Quality
• Patient-Centred Care

Background:

• High-quality patient care necessitates a holistic assessment approach.
• Holistic assessment encompasses physical, psychological, social, and spiritual patient wellbeing.
• Integrating these dimensions ensures care meets individual patient needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define 'holistic' within the context of dental care.
• To illustrate holistic care as treating the whole person, independent of treatment philosophy.
• To emphasize the significance of a person-centred approach in holistic assessments.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on holistic assessment and person-centred care (PCC).
• Analysis of the relational aspects of PCC.
• Identification of key PCC dimensions for holistic assessment.

Main Results:

• Holistic dentistry treats the entire patient, not just oral conditions.
• A person-centred approach is crucial for effective holistic assessment.
• Four key dimensions of PCC—connection, caring attitude, communication, and control—are vital.

Conclusions:

• Holistic assessment in dentistry requires a comprehensive, person-centred strategy.
• Integrating PCC principles enhances the quality and effectiveness of dental care.
• Focusing on connection, caring attitude, communication, and control improves patient outcomes.