PERSON-CENTERED CARE IN CHRONIC DISEASE - A REVIEW OF CONCEPTS
PERSON-CENTERED CARE IN CHRONIC DISEASE - A REVIEW OF CONCEPTS

Summary/Abstract: The concept of health as a balance between a person and the environment, the unity of soul and body, and the natural origin of disease, was the backbone of the perception of health in ancient Greece. Similar concepts existed in ancient Indian and Chinese medicine. This is also reflected in the World Health Organization's definition of health as „a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity?. All modern concepts of health recognize health as more than the absence of disease, implying a maximum capacity of the individual for self-realization and self-fulfilment. Person-centred practice in medicine may provide solutions to several pressing problems in health care, including the cost of services and poor outcomes in chronic care. However, patient- or person-centred care is not well researched because of a lack of conceptual and definitional clarity. The aim of this review was to analyse essential elements and the practical application of person-centred practice described in clinician- and researcher-defined conceptual frameworks, terms, and practices. A search of review articles on patient- and person-centred care in medicine was conducted using Medline and Google Scholar. In result several conceptual frameworks were identified in terms of their practical application of the ethical principles of beneficence and autonomy. In conclusion core ideas in existing conceptual frameworks of patient or person centredness can guide teaching and research.

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