Abstract
As we emerge from a shutdown of our federal government, our country continues to struggle with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In addition to the implementation of the ACA, as health care providers we are continuing to attempt to understand the diverse dynamic changes that will occur in our health care system resulting from the ACA. The ACA has a multitude of changes to the health care system directed at the patient, provider, and health care systems levels. One of the proposed changes is patient-centered care.
Patient-centered care engages the patient in multiple aspects of their plan of care to include, but not limited to, health promotion/disease prevention, diagnostic testing, treatment plan, education, follow-up care, and lifestyle changes. A patient-centered care model focuses on improving clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and quality of care. A patient-centered model of care emphasizes the need to develop and employ a provider–patient relationship driven by patient-centered decision making. The relationship depends on the development of mutual goals, trust, respect, accountability, effective communication, empathy, and transparency. In sum, it is a humanistic relationship that centers on the patient, not on the provider or the health care system. Patient consultation in all phases of health care is required in a patient-centered model of care. We move from a perspective of “what is the matter with the patient” to “what matters to our patients.”
Several principles guide the delivery of patient-centered care. These principles include
A patient’s needs, culture, values, beliefs, choices, and goals drive the plan of care
A team approach to care. All members of the health care system directly and indirectly involved with the patient is a team member. In addition, the health care team includes the patients, their family, and significant others/caregivers
The care focuses on a continuum of care rather than just episodic care
Providers engage in the delivery of transparent health care services. In this transparent system, patients are provided knowledge and information to engage in their health care decision making processes
The health care environment and system embraces a culture of patient-centered care
The patient remains the primary decision maker controlling their care.
The ACA not only proposes patient-centered care as a model for health care delivery, but proposes that patient-centered care embraces comparative effectiveness research. As providers of men’s health, I am proposing that we embrace and integrate patient-centered care and comparative effectiveness research as an integral part of our health care services. The ACA provided funding for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). PCORI is authorized by Congress to conduct research that provides information about the best available evidence to help patients and their health care providers make more informed decisions. Research conducted through PCORI is intended to provide patients with a better understanding of the prevention, treatment, and care options available, and the science that guides these decisions. I encourage men’s health care providers to explore the funding opportunities available through PCORI (www.pcori.org) as a means to influence men’s health care.