The phrase “patient-centered healthcare” is one that’s gaining in popularity across our industry. Lately, it feels like you hear it all the time. But what do we really mean by patient-centered healthcare? And what promise does it hold? In this blog, we’ll do a deep dive on what patient-centered healthcare is, why it matters, and how it’s poised to intersect with AI in ways that can lead to meaningful improvements in patient outcomes.
What is patient-centered healthcare?
Patient-centered healthcare is a care model that shifts the focus from traditional physician-led care, where the physician is tasked with making care decisions, to one that empowers patients to take an active role in their healthcare decisions and management. Patient-centered healthcare is especially relevant to the treatment of chronic conditions and rare diseases, which tend to require closer collaboration between providers and patients and caregivers.
In a Harvard Public Health article, Susannah Fox, former chief technology officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, notes, “The term ‘patient-centered’ was created to describe a departure from physician-centered health care, the default setting. The old model assumed that patients would want a doctor to direct their care from start to finish, no questions asked. The new model invites patients to engage in their care, to ask questions, to be at the center of a team of people who are looking out for them.”
As patient-centered healthcare gains a foothold, three core principles have emerged.
- Active patient involvement: patient-centered healthcare gives patients the data and insights they need to make informed decisions about their own care, rather than passively following what their doctor tells them.
- Personalization: This care model acknowledges that care decisions are highly personal. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to delivering high-quality care.
- Collaboration: patient-centered healthcare requires a collaborative, open, and trusting relationship between provider and patient.
What are some examples of patient-centered healthcare in the real world?
You can find patient-centered healthcare initiatives across a wide range of care areas. Here are a few examples:
- Individualized care plans: Providers and patients work together to craft an approach to treatment that takes into consideration each patient’s unique medical history, lifestyle, personal goals, socioeconomic conditions, and cultural considerations, among other factors.
- Patient support programs: Services that support the whole person can also be considered part of the patient-centered healthcare ecosystem. Programs can offer emotional support, adherence guidance, financial resources, and help connect patients with other patients living with the same condition. The very best patient support programs stay with patients throughout their entire disease management journey.
- Inclusion of family members and caregivers: patient-centered healthcare understands that patients aren’t going through their care journey alone. With the patient’s approval, this care model invites family members and caregivers to ask questions, seek support, and help in decision-making.
- Full access to medical records: For patients managing multiple or complex conditions, disparate medical records can make them feel like they don’t have all the puzzle pieces. Technology that gives patients access to their complete medical history (including records from past care teams, caregivers, and nurse navigators) help them make sense of their condition and equip them to have more productive conversations with their providers.
What are the benefits of patient-centered healthcare?
- Better outcomes: Research has shown that patient-centered healthcare approaches lead to better outcomes. Simply put, engaged patients demonstrate better adherence to treatment plans. Specific findings have touted improved healthcare outcomes for chronic diseases including depression and anxiety disorders, cardiovascular risk management, diabetes, and addictive behaviors.
A summary of selected articles published in the Journal of Patient Experience showed that highly engaged patients are more likely to perform health-improving behaviors that correlate with better outcomes and lower long-term costs. For example, one study showed that highly engaged patients can have better control of cholesterol, were less likely to smoke or be obese, and were more likely to get preventive healthcare screenings.
- Reduced length of stay: patient-centered healthcare can also unlock reduced hospital length of stay (LOS)—an important metric in hospital profitability. Patient-centered efforts like involving patients in care decisions at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California led to a 7.8% reduction in average length of stay and a 14.8% reduction in readmissions, according to a HealthCatalyst report.
- Better patient satisfaction: In addition to better outcomes, patient-centered healthcare is linked to better patient satisfaction. In a study of diabetes patients in primary care clinics, those who were part of a patient-centered empowerment model of care had significantly higher mean satisfaction compared to the control group–80.38 vs. 33.71, respectively.
- Aligns with patient preferences: It’s worth noting that patients appreciate this care model. A 2022 survey showed that almost 45% of patients wanted more involvement in their healthcare decisions.
How will AI play a role in patient-centered healthcare?
Today, patient-centered healthcare is facilitated in lots of analog and digital ways. As AI gets further embedded into both healthcare and everyday life, it will become a powerful tool in executing patient-centered healthcare initiatives. Here are just a few examples of ways AI is already helping: virtual health assistants, or chatbots, for medication adherence and support; AI-integrated wearables for health metric monitoring; streamlined administrative tasks, such as procedure scheduling and prescription requests.
At Unite Genomics, we power patient-centered healthcare by harnessing EMR data and giving patients full access to their medical records, empowering them to have more meaningful conversations with their providers at every visit and giving them the insights they need to make the right care decisions for themselves and their loved ones.
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