Good Care is About People
Health organizations nationally and internationally are incorporating people-centered care (PCC) into the healthcare environment to promote a humanistic, collaborative means to care.
The PCC concept is defined by the World Health Organization as "a balanced consideration of the values, needs, expectations, preferences, capacities and health and wellbeing of all the constituents and stakeholders of the healthcare system." It is suggested that the adoption of PCC into health environments can improve health outcomes at individual, organizational and system levels.
Alberta Health Services in the Edmonton Area is in the process of building its PCC strategy. Mandy Bellows, a Clinical Quality Consultant who provides resources to the Edmonton PCC committee, was asked to help create a framework for PCC. This coincided with her enrollment in SEARCH VI.
"The timing was perfect," says Bellows. "We needed to inform the PCC process - planning, implementation and evaluation - with evidence. I undertook a targeted review of the current state of knowledge and practices concerning PCC."
Bellows found that two factors are consistently identified with the successful application of the PCC approach: the importance and commitment of organizational leadership; and the feeling of ownership by the people. "I look forward to disseminating this information and to collaborating with AHS stakeholders," she says.
"SEARCH has helped me grow both personally and professionally. The experience has taught me how to inform practice with evidence-based decision making."