Understanding of 'person-centred care' in an oncology ICU: Associative group analysis

To describe how healthcare professionals, patients, and their significant others understand the concept of 'person-centred care' in an oncology ICU.

This study followed the associative group analysis (AGA) method, a quali-quantitative research approach.The population included healthcare professionals, their patients, and significant others in a four-bed oncology adult intensive care unit. Whole population sampling (n = 22) allowed all healthcare professionals to participate. Maximum variation purposive sampling was used to identify patients and their significant others (n = 22). Data were collected during either face-to-face or telephonic individual interviews. Free associations were weighted using a validated weighting system. Words with similar meanings were then grouped into themes. The themes were then deductively grouped according to the domains of the Person-centred Practice Framework.

Participants had a limited understanding of person-centred care and could only identify six of the 23 constructs of the Person-centred Practice Framework. Healthcare professionals embraced the idea of person-centred care, but their understanding of the concept remains vague. Person-centred care remains conceptual in this oncology intensive care unit because the interpretation and operationalisation of the concept are misaligned at various health service levels.

Organisations should invest in work-based learning to enable staff to understand the concept of person-centred care. Healthcare workers also need to self-evaluate how they work and be able to adjust their working style to be more person-centred.