Person-centered clinical care: principles and strategies

Abstract

The development of person-centered clinical care is inscribed within an international programmatic movement towards a medicine focused on the totality of the person. This movement, with broad historical bases, has been maturing since 2008 through conferences among global health institutions, research projects and academic publications. This paper is aimed at elucidating the conceptual principles of person-centered medicine (PCM) and to delineate strategies for the practical application of such principles in clinical care services. The above objectives have been approached through literature reviews, international consultations, and reflections on the patterns and indications obtained. The principles identified for person-centered medicine are the following: Ethical commitment, holistic framework, cultural awareness and responsiveness, communication and relational focus, individualized clinical care, common ground among clinicians, patient and family for joint diagnostic understanding and shared decision making, person- and community-centered organization of integrated services, and person-centered medical education and research. Additionally, pertinent strategies have been delineated for the implementation of such principles in clinical care. The authors conclude that the presented principles and strategies are consistent with suggestions offered in the literature and may serve as bases for the design of indices and scales. Their continuous refinement is proposed through future international and local studies. to clarify the key concepts of the movement as well as strategies for their practical clinical application.