By Emmanuel Joseph
Uncaring health care providers who disrespect patients stand in the way of quality patient-centred care in Barbados, a new study has found.
Researchers at Ross University School of Medicine joined by Shelly Weir of the Hope Foundation, the charity for lupus, sickle cell anaemia, and rheumatoid arthritis, conducted the study, Patient-Centred Care and Patient Advocacy in Barbados from May to October.
It was funded by the Commonwealth Foundation and Professor Dwayne Devonish of the University of the West Indies, an expert on management and organisational behaviour.
“Patient-centred care in Barbados can be enhanced by… focusing on effective communication, empathy, and patient engagement, and improving healthcare professionals’ training and support systems,” the study said.
For the patients who were interviewed for the study, “patient-centred care” meant their active participation in their own care and decision-making; for healthcare professionals, it was defined as treating the patient as a whole, not just the disease, and considering the patient’s social and economic background, perspective, concerns, and expectations.
The patients emphasised the need for healthcare providers to listen, respect their dignity, and maintain a comfortable environment throughout the care process, the study found.
“These views highlight the importance of open and respectful communication, collaborative decision-making, and healthcare providers being attentive to patients’ concerns and needs. Negative experiences often involve feelings of being dismissed, unheard, or inadequately informed, underscoring the need for better communication and empathy from healthcare providers,” the researchers said.
“They recognised the importance of respect, dialogue, empathy, and effective communication in patient care. However, challenges such as time constraints, limited resources, and lack of support for healthcare professionals are acknowledged as barriers to providing high-quality patient-centred care.”
But patients also reported positive experiences regarding interactions with healthcare professionals. They said there was active involvement, personalised attention, effective communication, and collaboration on those occasions.
“On the other hand, negative experiences included poor communication, lack of empathy, dismissive attitudes, and inadequate attention to patients’ needs,” the experts discovered.
When it came to patient advocacy, health-based NGOs and healthcare practitioners all agreed on the crucial role of patient advocacy in bridging the communication gap between patients and healthcare professionals, according to the research.
The survey saw this advocacy as a means to improve health management, inform patients, and empower them to take an active role in healthcare decisions.
The researchers also presented several key recommendations for improving patient-centred care and patient advocacy.
These included comprehensive training and education of healthcare professionals to enhance their communication skills, empathy, and approaches to patient-centred care; the establishment of a robust feedback system that would allow patients to report their experiences and concerns; and public education and awareness campaigns to inform patients about their rights, available resources, and the importance of proactive involvement in their care.
The experts also proposed the creation of reliable information sources to provide patients with credible sources of information that support informed decision-making, and active information dissemination by healthcare systems and organisations through various channels to promote patient advocacy and reach a broader audience.
There was also a call for policy changes and improved access to healthcare services to bolster patient advocacy and patient-centred care. The study also recommended client relations training for healthcare professionals to improve communication, empathy, and patient engagement.
The researchers further suggested family conversations about generational health issues, the involvement of pharmacists and supporting practitioners, and the implementation of integrated information systems to improve communication and coordination among healthcare professionals.
The core objectives of the study were to examine the experiences, evaluations, and perceptions regarding patient-centred care among Barbadian residents who received healthcare treatment and to explore the practice of patient advocacy and the delivery of patient-centred care among healthcare professionals within the local healthcare sector.
The third main objective was to assess how health-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) perceive patient-centred care and advocacy and how they can support the local healthcare sector in delivering quality patient-centred care for locals.
Promoting factors for patient-centred care included effective communication, timely access to care, empathy, and mutual respect, while inhibiting elements were identified as financial constraints, lack of attention to detail and dismissive attitudes, according to the study.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
