The Concept of Person-Centred Care Essay

Factors that Influence Care Relationships

Definition

Many theorists have written about the exact definition of care in the relationship between providers and patients, with two of the most influential being Jean Watson and Madeleine Leininger. Watson was a famous American nurse theorist who valued the humanistic, metaphysical potential of science. She defined care as the moral ideal of nursing in which the aim is to protect, enhance, and preserve human dignity through transcendence and creativity (Blasdell, 2017). On the other hand, Leininger was the founder of transcultural nursing and emphasized the variability of expressions, processes, and patterns of caring among different cultures (Blasdell, 2017). She believed the purpose of professional caring was to help individuals and families improve or maintain favorable health conditions. The most optimal definition of a caring relationship is an amalgamation of Watson and Leininger’s theories. A care relationship aims to improve patients’ health outcomes by preserving their human dignity and power of choice.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of care relationships has been demonstrated by numerous studies. Firstly, improved communication with care providers is linked to increased adherence to treatment plans and care advice by patients, which leads to lower readmission and mortality rates (Thomas, Newcomb & Fusco, 2018). Secondly, more positive relationships with patients result in better job satisfaction among employees and lower staff turnover. This yields efficiency savings and thus less expenditures for healthcare facilities and the National Health Service. Furthermore, there are more intangible advantages such as an enhanced hospital reputation due to better patient and employee experience reviews. Cultivating care relationships is morally valuable and translates to better health outcomes for patients, job satisfaction for employees, and enhanced revenue and reputations for hospitals.

Formation

While there are various theoretical frameworks for understanding the care relationship, one study identified the concrete factors that cultivate a positive one. A 2015 umbrella-review extracted six factors that formed the care provider-patient relationship: expectations of relationship, values, knowledge and skills, communication, context and environment, and the impact of the relationship (Wiechula et al., 2015). Firstly, a positive provider-patient relationship develops when both parties recognise that it is built on intimacy, trust, and deep knowledge. Secondly, values held and displayed by providers should align with the patient’s, as manifested through their attitude and behavior. Thirdly, providers should be knowledgeable about the technical and psychological aspects of care. Fourthly, they should utilize their communication skills and demonstrate the ability to handle medical terminology, notice subtle cues about the patient’s state of health, and establish a friendly rapport. Fifthly, context and environment refer to organizational and cultural factors beyond the individual provider that influence the relationship. Finally, the impact of the relationship refers to whether it fulfills the personal aspiration of the care provider and translates into improved competence for patients. In general, the formation of the care relationship depends on the provider’s communication skills, ability to foster trust, and demonstrate technical ability.

Task 2: Influence of Policy on Care

Health and social care facilities are not static entities that exist separately from other spheres of society. The relationships between patients and care providers are influenced by changes within public policy that regulate who has access to care and the principles of their treatment. Over the last two decades, legislation has focused on protecting patients’ rights and interests to make care relationships more equal. The fundamental standards of providing care such as proper staffing and duty of candour are outlined in the Health and Social Care Act of 2008. The various regulations included in this Act demonstrate the dynamism of care relationships and how they can be influenced by public policy.

From Paternalism to Partnership

Firstly, Regulation 9 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 legally established the principle of person-centered care in the NHS. According to the legislation, treatment plans should take into account the individual needs and preferences of patients (Care Quality Commission, 2021a). This is a drastic difference to the previous model of the healthcare wherein they were expected to fit in with the routines and practices that care providers believed were most appropriate. Patients came to be recognized as individuals that are e