3. A PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH IN HEALTHCARE

Being Person-Centred

Being person-centred is about focusing on the needs of the person rather than the needs of the service; it means that the person’s safety, comfort and well-being are the focus. It also means being aware of a person’s emotional and spiritual well-being: it reflects a person’s values, relationships and need for self-expression.

Communication

Communication is particularly important in healthcare, where patients can feel vulnerable, alone and frightened. Having good communication with them helps them in three main ways.

  • Good communication helps patients/clients feel at ease. People who need healthcare feel anxious about their health. Having good communication with health care workers will reduce their anxiety.
  • Good communication helps patients to feel in control. People feel that they give up all control of their lives once they enter the health system, but good communication can help people to see that they are still in charge of their own lives.
  • Good communication makes patients feel valued. The most precious thing we can give to another person is our time and show we are prepared to listen to them.

Communication is much more than the words we say. The tone of our voice, the attention we give to what the other person is saying, our body language and even the messages we write are key elements of communication.

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Body Language

Body language1 says a lot about our engagement in communication.

  • Body posture: we will communicate better when we bring our face to the same level as the other person and do not tower above them if they are in bed or on a chair.
  • Eye contact: keep good eye contact with the person, but do not stare. Remember that for people from some cultures, making eye contact can seem a bit rude.
  • Facial expression: much of what we are thinking is shown by the expressions on our face. We need to be aware of our facial expressions and control them at all times.
  • Touch: touch is a very powerful means of communication. But as with eye contact, the touch has to be appropriate, and there are important cultural issues1 that need to be understood.2
WARM UP

Do you usually make eye contact with the person you are talking to / is talking to you?

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1 How do you guess whether the person you are talking to is at ease or not?

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1 Western culture typically perceives a strong handshake as authoritative and confident, whereas many parts of the Far East perceive a strong handshake as aggressive. Or a simple handshake with some Muslim women may be considered offensive.

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2 How to Read Body Language, posted by Business Insider