Chronically The Patient Empowerment Newsletter
Roi Shternin
The concept of patient-centricity has become immensely popular in healthcare. But simply talking about it is not enough. To truly transform care, we must embrace patient-centricity as a core value that guides all organizational decisions and processes. What would it look like if we genuinely put patients first?
Authentic Partnerships, Not Just Marketing Ploys
Using patient-centricity as a promotional buzzword while business models stay misaligned with patient needs is disingenuous. Real patient-centricity permeates an organization’s structure, objectives, and operations. Patient preferences and experiences should steer corporate decision-making even when inconvenient. Partnership with patients means respecting their perspectives and priorities as the compass for improvement.
Coordinated Journeys, Not Patient Burdens
In a fragmented healthcare system, too often patients are left to fend for themselves in navigating referrals, tests, and follow-up. A patient-centric model seamlessly coordinates care across settings, proactively tracking and managing test results, referrals, and care transitions to avoid patients falling through cracks. It provides transparency and continuity, minimizing patient confusion and effort.
Participatory Design, Not Prescriptiveness
Research and direct patient input should drive the design of services, spaces, workflows and technologies. Co-designing with patients generates solutions that truly meet their needs and preferences, rather than institutional norms. Patient autonomy and choice in care decisions becomes central.
Wise Investments, Not Superficial Rebranding
Achieving patient-centricity requires financial commitment to new tools, training, support roles, and process redesigns. But it generates returns on investment through greater patient retention, satisfaction, appropriate care utilization, and lower costs. When patients’ goals drive strategies, the mission of serving them stays front and center.
The Path Forward
Becoming truly patient-centric takes perseverance and collective effort across complex systems. However, organizations courageous enough to realign around humanistic values can inspire hope and restore trust. We unlock healthcare's higher potential when we see, hear, and respect patients as partners. Patient-centricity is ultimately about living our ideals through action - better-serving everyone.
I help Organisations to bring patient voices to the center of care, My book "What Do Patients Want? is a best seller and is available here