Patient and health professions student team perceptions of patient-centeredness in an inter-professional education home-visit program: An exploratory study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare patient and health professions student team perceptions of patientcenteredness in an inter-professional clinical education home-visit program. Following an inter-professional clinical education home-visit program, patient and health professions student team perceptions of patient-centeredness were compared using a modified version of the Patient Perception of Patient Centeredness Questionnaire. The results showed both patient and student team participants perceived that student teams focused on how much they cared about the patient as a person and the opportunity to discuss any questions. Patients, however, reported significantly higher levels of patient-centered clinical method used during the visits than did health professions and osteopathic medical/dental student participants. The study reveals more practice and focus on patient feedback and the patient’s central role in their healthcare decisions is recommended for this inter-professional clinical education program as well as for any program that includes team-based care. Patient-centeredness also requires instruction to the patient about their role in their own healthcare. Health and medical professions educators need to continue to motivate students through inter-professional education programs and activities to adopt a more patient-centered practice. For future research as a follow-up study, adding independent observations of the home visit interactions may allow for a better understanding of which specific behaviors contribute the most to the experienced patient-centeredness.