Optimizing Healthcare Through Person-Centered Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: Personalized health care has been present since Neanderthal times through all ancient Eastern and Western major civilizations, with oscillations and challenges in more recent eras, and experiencing strong growth while confronting scientistic reductionism and dehumanizing commercialism in the present century. Efforts to optimize healthcare have often been the goals of both programmatic and focused person-centered projects.
Objectives: The objectives of the present paper are, first, to identify contributions to enhanced health care from major collaborative and programmatic movements for person centered healthcare, illustratively those carried out by the International College of Person Centered Medicine. A second objective is to assess the recent literature concerning person-centered indicators and strategies for optimizing health care.
Methods: The first objective was approached through the retrieval and analysis of files concerning person-centered contributions to enhanced health care by a major comprehensive programmatic movement for person centered medicine. The second, involved a review of the medical literature in English during the period 2021–2023 through Google Scholar data banks to elucidate key indicators and thematic patterns for optimizing health care through person-centered means.
Results: Concerning the first objective, the study involved several seminal papers, research projects, professional events, educational programs and major publications encompassing significant person-centered programmatic contributions to enhanced health care. They revealed eight principles or pillars (ethical commitment, holistic framework, cultural awareness and responsiveness, a communicational and relationship matrix, individualized care, collaborative diagnosis, decisions and care, people-centered organization of health services, and person-centered health education and research) as well as related person-centered health strategies in general and for specific fields.Regarding the second objective, a review of the 2021–2023 literature identified 25 papers concerning person-centered indicators and strategies for optimizing clinical care. Major themes across these findings involved ethical commitment, promoting positive health, individualized care, promoting communication, collaborative diagnosis and therapeutic decisions, and strengthening the process of care.
Discussion: The articulation of the findings corresponding to the two objectives of the present study was helpful to highlight promising and more consistent person-centered principles and strategies. The limitations of the methods employed to account for and understand adequately the burgeoning experience and information emerging in recent decades was outlined. Additional supporting contributions for optimizing health care were pointed out.
Conclusions: Significant person-centered programmatic and focused contributions to enhance health care have been elucidated and thematically organized. Creative and more solid efforts may be in the horizons to bring to greater fruition the articulation of science and humanism to fulfill the goals of greater health and well-being for all.