What do patients expect? Assessing patient-centredness from the patients' perspective: an interview study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Research
• Patient Experience
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Patient-centeredness (PC) is a crucial concept in healthcare, yet patient perspectives on its specific dimensions have been underexplored.
• Previous research indicated high patient relevance for an integrative model of PC, but specific behavioral aspects were not clearly identified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize specific patient-centered care behaviors most valued by patients.
• To deepen the understanding of patient perspectives on patient-centeredness within the German healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semistructured interviews with 20 patients managing chronic diseases in Germany.
• Analyzed interview data using content analysis to identify key themes and patient priorities.

Main Results:

• Patients emphasized three primary themes: timely access to care, healthcare provider (HCP) competence, empathy, and being taken seriously.
• HCPs' individualized consideration of patient situations (e.g., wishes, needs) was also highly valued.
• Minor themes included holistic patient perspective, patient-centered communication, multidisciplinary care integration, transparency, and equitable access.

Conclusions:

• This study provides essential patient-derived insights to enrich the construct of patient-centeredness.
• Findings enable prioritization of strategies for implementing effective patient-centered care.
• The research supports the goal of advancing patient-centered healthcare delivery in Germany.