A Patient- and Family-Centred Care Approach
What is Person and Family Centred Care?
Person– Family-Centred Care (PFCC) is about putting patients and families at the center of everything we do. It is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among patients, families and health care providers.
The four key principles of PFCC are:
Dignity and Respect. Health care practitioners listen to and honor patient and family perspectives and choices. Patient and family knowledge, values, beliefs and cultural backgrounds are incorporated into the planning and delivery of care.
Information Sharing. Health care practitioners communicate and share complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful. Patients and families receive timely, complete and accurate information in order to effectively participate in care and decision-making.
Partnership and Participation. Patients and families are encouraged and supported in participating in care and decision-making at the level they choose.
Collaboration. Patients, families, health care practitioners, and health care leaders collaborate in policy and program development, implementation and evaluation; in research; in facility design; and in professional education, as well as in the delivery of care.
Central Health is working toward a more person- and family-centred philosophy of care. Finding ways to hear patient and family voices is key to PFCC.
Why is Central Health partnering with patients and families?
At Central Health we recognize the importance of patient and family voices in making a better health care system. Historically health care improvement has often focused on people who work within the health care facility. Evidence and day-to-day experience shows us that in fact everyone’s voice needs to be included – not just the people who are care providers. Evidence shows that we can learn a lot from the experiences of patients and families in how to make healthcare safer, improve outcomes and improve both patient and staff experiences. Through partnership with patients and families we can improve healthcare in our region.