Person-centred care Resources

Several crucial documents have identified the need for integrated care to meet patient requirements in the current financial climate, developed from the concepts of self-care and joining up care to improve health outcomes. These include the Five Year Forward View (2014), Next Steps on the Five Year Forward View (2017), NHS Long Term Plan (2019) and now the introduction of the Health and Care Act (2022) — all of which provide a contextualised approach to care. Integrated care is aimed at the way that organisations work together to support self-care (which incorporates the principles of holistic care considering physical, emotional, social, spirtual and ecomonc health [Mills, 2017]), with a commitment to improve patient outcomes by avoiding confusion and repetition. It  enhances comprehensive care planning by listening to patients — perhaps best summed up by the phrase, ‘No decision about me, without me’ (Department of Health [DH], 2012).

Storytelling is the act of telling or writing stories, or narratives. Typically, stories are told for entertainment, for informational or educational purposes. Telling stories and storymaking is integral to our human consciousness and lived experience

Here, Ellie Lindsay OBE explores why, with the increased use of virtual technology in health care, good communication skills are more vital than ever to ensure person-centred, holistic care.

The evolution of technology and electronic devices, such as smart phones, has greatly influenced the way we communicate today, improving the speed and ease of reaching out to others. But, the downside of the speed of, for example, a text messaging service, may be that individuals are no longer taking the time to converse in person and to be truly present — in mind and body.