Recommendations for patient-centered emergency care.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Delivery
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Patient-centred care is a fundamental shift in healthcare delivery.
• Patient-centred emergency care is crucial for improving patient and clinician experiences and health outcomes.
• Emphasizing patient experience, preferences, and values is key to patient-centred emergency departments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate practical recommendations for enhancing patient-centred care in Emergency Medicine.
• To identify strategies for improving patient-centredness across various dimensions of emergency care.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a literature review.
• Conducted stakeholder interviews.
• Achieved consensus from an expert panel and patient advocate.
• Presented recommendations for feedback at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) 2023 Annual Conference.

Main Results:

• Developed practical recommendations for patient-centred emergency care.
• Addressed key dimensions including physical environment, communication, systems of care, and measurement.
• Provided strategies to align emergency care with patient needs and values.

Conclusions:

• Patient-centredness is essential for high-quality, compassionate, and effective emergency healthcare.
• A renewed commitment to patient-centred care is vital in modern healthcare.
• Technological advancements offer opportunities to enhance the human aspect of medicine in emergency settings.