With my background as an oncology nurse of over 10 years, I know the importance of patient and family-centered care. Patient-centered care is a way of thinking and doing things that sees the patients as equal partners in planning, developing and monitoring care to make sure it meets their needs. This means putting people and their families at the center of decisions and seeing them as experts, working alongside professionals to get the best outcome. Patient-centered care is not just about giving people whatever they want or providing information. It is about considering people’s desires, values, family situations, social circumstances and lifestyles; seeing the person as an individual, and working together to develop appropriate solutions. Being compassionate, thinking about things from the person’s point of view and being respectful are all important; this might be shown through sharing decisions with patients and helping people manage their health. It is as much about the way professionals and patients think about care and their relationships as the actual services available.
