Consult a Doctor

Patient-centered Care for Better Healthcare Delivery

Last updated: ,
4 mins,
Health writer | Editor | Public Health Researcher
hush naidoo pA0uoltkwao unsplash 2

A healthcare system that is not patient-centered is as good as dead. When it comes to effective healthcare delivery, especially in an age where technological advancement is gearing towards a zenith, patient-centered care implies a combination of timely, satisfactory and optimal care to patients.

In the healthcare marketplace, it is not debatable that patients are the consumers; therefore, focus should be on how to provide solutions that are patient oriented.

By focusing on patients, healthcare providers should ensure that patient safety and satisfaction are paramount.

In this context, patient safety is the prevention of errors and adverse effects to patients associated with health care. This is to say that, it is the prevention of harm to patients with emphasis on the system of care delivery that,

  1. prevents errors
  2. learns from the errors that do occur; and
  3. is built on a culture of safety that involves health care professionals, organizations, and patients.

Why is patient-centered care important?

The hospital is a people-oriented place as it provides services to a plethora of patients on a 24/7 basis. The hospital atmosphere is filled with all sorts of emotions – excitement, sorrow, happiness, hopelessness and anxiety. Thus, putting the patient’s needs first goes a long way to ensuring better patient satisfaction and positive outcomes.

To experience patient-centered care, the onus is on the healthcare providers, the health system and the patients themselves to promote conducive and healthy space.

Since the hospital operates under continuous strain, it is not uncommon to witness irritation, confrontations, conflicts and aggression between hospital staff and patients.

A way to avert this is to ensure that hospital staff are not overworked, and patient numbers are not overwhelming as well.

Most of these confrontations also come from a place of frustration. Therefore, it is imperative for hospitals and patients to embrace health tech solutions that are geared towards solving the issue of overcrowding. One of such solutions is the Online Scheduling of Hospital Appointments. This will not only lessen the burden on hospital staffs, it will also make the hospital aware of patient conditions or symptoms way before the patient’s arrival.

Additionally, it never gets “too crowded” when the doctor sets his availability for consultation and the patient chooses his or her preferred time. This is especially helpful in our country, Nigeria where the regular hospital Physician-to-Patient ratio is 4 doctors to 10,000 patients and 1 nurse to 1,006 patients!

From these statistics, patient-centered care will definitely not be a topmost priority in such a system. Hospitals should integrate telemedicine service in their system to help control the crowd of patients they attend to on a daily. Patients should seek more personalized care by embracing telemedicine services as well. This way, a more personalized approach is adopted in resolving patient problems.

patient-centered care
Patient-centered Care for Better Healthcare Delivery 3

The following are what patient-centered care should have:

  • Improve accuracy of patient identification
  • Enhance the effectiveness of communication among healthcare providers
  • Improve the monitoring of drugs administration
  • Reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections.

These will help in achieving the vision of every patient receiving safe healthcare, every time and everywhere. 

Top barriers to implementing patient-centered care in Nigeria:

  • Lack of resources: inadequate staffing and work overloads.
  • Competing priorities for scarce resources in a system where patient-centered care is not considered a top priority.
  • Resistance to change and reluctance to try novel methods of providing care. For instance, telemedicine.
  •  Ignorance of viable alternatives to traditional methods of healthcare delivery.

Every patient deserves the right to be put first in the healthcare system. It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that patient satisfaction and safety is the ultimate goal.

Medical DisclaimerKompleteCare aims to improve the quality of life for everyone with fact-based content about the nature of diseases, preventive care, behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

Share this article on social media:

LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Twitter

21 comments

UCHENNA reply
October 3, 2020 - 10:19 am

Insightful and informative.

Quinta reply
October 9, 2020 - 7:35 pm

It is exciting to know that complete health care is just a call away. Keep it up KompleteCare!
Quinta

    Barr Anoh. reply
    October 17, 2020 - 8:29 am

    I am always refreshed when I read your articles on completeCare, because there are always informative.

Linda Asuquo reply
October 14, 2020 - 9:46 am

Thanks for this article. It is really informative. Welldone!

Julius kijuo reply
October 14, 2020 - 9:53 am

So educative. Thanks miss Ginika Oluchi

Clergy reply
October 14, 2020 - 9:56 am

So insightful

Chiamaka Cynthia reply
October 14, 2020 - 10:02 am

KompleteCare has a way of updating us with relevant informations which is useful to not just me but the society at large

Akoja Faith reply
October 14, 2020 - 11:00 am

It’s the priority of the patient -centred care to ensure, that the patient derives satisfaction and safety, from the services rendered by them to the masses. This is quite knowledgeable. Thanks Okeke Ginika.

RUTH IYEN reply
October 14, 2020 - 12:11 pm

Weldon Ginika Oluchi Okeke for this educative write up.
I learnt a whole lot from this.
Keep it up👍🏼

Beavens reply
October 14, 2020 - 12:33 pm

The online medical scheduling will change the face of hospital treatment in Nigeria. Often times patients get frustrated due to congestion while trying to see a doctor. In some cases, some patients choose other alternatives. However, if online scheduling is adopted it will boost healthcare delivery and save patients the agony of waiting tirelessly to see a doctor.

Flourish reply
October 14, 2020 - 12:49 pm

Thank you for this beautiful write up. I wish every hospital and health care centers can have access to this.

Ojoi Igajah reply
October 14, 2020 - 3:34 pm

Telemedicine will work just fine, however the major problem as it affects healthcare in Nigeria is lack of human resources. We need more doctors and definitely more nurses. Well done Ginika.

Onwudinjo reply
October 14, 2020 - 3:38 pm

Crowd control and medical care efficiency should indeed be Nigeria’s priority. Good job Ginika.

Faith reply
October 14, 2020 - 6:25 pm

This is quite explicit

Harmony reply
October 14, 2020 - 8:35 pm

This is Nigeria where the proper satisfaction of patient is not guaranteed even at the point of death,well no passion for their work there only concern is the money…
Well, thanks for this,just hope they will hear and practice it.

Gboyega reply
October 15, 2020 - 4:48 am

Thank you for this beautiful write-up, it is quite informative and enlightening !!!!

Ukachukwu George Onyewuezi reply
October 15, 2020 - 5:37 am

Good one insightful informative

Anna reply
October 15, 2020 - 8:49 am

This article is very educating thanks for sharing l believe every person deserve the right healthcare system and ensure Patients satisfaction and safety is achieve which should be their main aim.

Freeman Korkara Kobo reply
October 15, 2020 - 8:38 pm

Discussing impatience on the part of patients in this article made me grin mirthfully as if I had puffed on a full packet of Benson. This is because I’m not an apologist of the word “patience” so, I strongly detest queuing up in a bank, hospital etc. especially, when the queue snakes toward only one attendant.
Consequently, in order to soothe irascible patients, and also to avert a crowdy environment, the content of this timely article becomes pertinent.

Archibong Emmanuel reply
October 16, 2020 - 12:53 pm

Good read…
Highly informative.

YWXNmvlynb reply
October 20, 2020 - 6:33 pm

lOBueUGidb

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ginika Oluchi Okeke

Ginika is the Lead health writer at KompleteCare. She also doubles as an editor and proofreader for everything that concerns content. When she's not writing content for KompleteCare, you might find her copy-editing works for authors before publication.

Sidebar Newsletter form

time is money flier
Untitled 1 1

Subscribe to our Blog

We publish helpful posts every week!