Co-Creating Descriptors and a Definition for Person-Centred Coordinated Health Care: An Action Research Study.

Amanda Phelan,Gabrielle O’Kelly,Mary Casey,Helen Lloyd,Daniela Rohde,Patrick Felle,Gerard Fealy,Aine Carroll

doi:10.5334/ijic.5575

Abstract

The aim of this study was to co-create a definition and generic descriptors for person-centred coordinated care for Ireland generated from service users’ narratives. An overarching action research approach was used to engage and empower people to tangibly impact health policy and practice. Through focus groups and a qualitative survey, primary data were collected from a national sample of health services users, caregivers and health care service users’ representative groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Three major themes were co-produced as essential care elements. These were: ‘My experience of healthcare’, ‘Care that I am confident in’ and ‘My journey through healthcare’. Through an IPPOSI partner project steering group and their membership groups’ contribution, these themes were further refined into a definition of person-centred coordinated care and nineteen related generic descriptors. Key findings demonstrate that within complex, fragmented healthcare systems, the subjective expectations of service users should be integrated into care delivery, with a scaffolding of services to meet service users’ needs between care settings and disciplines and over time.

Highlights

In recent years, healthcare providers, policy makers and regulators have focused on consumer engagement and empowerment in order to improve standards of care delivery, provide effective, efficient care services and promote quality improvement [1]
MY HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCES The ‘My healthcare experience’ theme represented a major relational focus. This had a number of sub themes, a) communication that is understandable to me, b) communication that provides me with the required information I need, c) care that understands my life world including those who care for me, d) care that demonstrates positive regard for me and e) care that is based on authentic partnership and respects my choices
Communication that is understandable to me Participants emphasized that communication from healthcare professionals needed to be presented in a way that respected cultural realities and delivered in an understandable way

Summary

Introduction

Healthcare providers, policy makers and regulators have focused on consumer engagement and empowerment in order to improve standards of care delivery, provide effective, efficient care services and promote quality improvement [1]. This emphasises that healthcare needs to be safe, person-centred, timely and equitable [2], meeting specific targets set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [3]. Service users’ experience and satisfaction are increasingly considered valuable indicators of person-centred care [6, 11]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion