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Health Education England (HEE) has published a new framework to promote person-centred approaches in healthcare.
In the framework document, published on 26 July 2017, HEE encourages “meaningful” two-way communication between patients and health and social care professionals, and recommends that advice and care be tailored to suit patients’ individual needs and current circumstances. Bespoke care like this can, the framework says, best be delivered if health management is regarded as a partnership with patients, their families and the wider community.
Although the framework provides “best practice” scenarios from several health and social care sectors, no case studies from pharmacists are presented.
However, Nina Barnett, a consultant pharmacist for older people at North West London Hospitals Trust, and East and South East England specialist pharmacy services, said the framework is still highly relevant to pharmacists. Barnett added that it aligns closely to standard one of the nine General Pharmaceutical Council standards for pharmacy professionals, which says that pharmacy professionals must provide person-centred care.
“This HEE framework can support pharmacists to deliver on standard one, and can help organisations to plan their training,” Barnett said.
“The concepts in this framework are ripe for translation into pharmacy practice in the different areas.”
Barnett added that a patient-centred approach can be part of every patient interaction, no matter how short.
“We might not be able to dramatically change someone’s life during a five-minute conversation, but we can make sure that everyone we speak to feels valued,” she said.
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