Practices for Patient Care and Healthcare Decision-Making
Changes in culture and technology have resulted in patient populations that are often well-informed and educated, even before consulting or considering a healthcare need delivered by a health professional. Fueled by this, health professionals are increasingly involving patients in treatment decisions. However, this often comes with challenges, as illnesses and treatments can become complex.
What has your experience been with patient involvement in treatment or healthcare decisions?
In this Discussion, you will share your experiences and consider the impact of patient involvement (or lack of involvement). You will also consider the use of a patient decision aid to inform best practices for patient care and healthcare decision-making.
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and reflect on a time when you experienced a patient being brought into (or not being brought into) a decision regarding their treatment plan.
- Review the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Decision Aids Inventory at https://decisionaid.ohri.ca/.
- Choose “For Specific Conditions,” then Browse an alphabetical listing of decision aids by health topic.
NOTE: To ensure compliance with HIPAA rules, please DO NOT use the patient’s real name or any information that might identify the patient or organization/practice.
- Post a brief description of the situation you experienced and explain how incorporating or not incorporating patient preferences and values impacted the outcome of their treatment plan. Be specific and provide examples.
- Then, explain how including patient preferences and values might impact the trajectory of the situation and how these were reflected in the treatment plan.
- Finally, explain the value of the patient decision aid you selected and how it might contribute to effective decision-making, both in general and in the experience you described. Describe how you might use this decision-aid inventory in your professional practice or personal life.
Patient Preferences and Decision Making
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Patient Preferences and Decision Making
Practices for Patient Care and Healthcare Decision-Making
In the field of healthcare, patient preferences and decision-making have emanated as paramount factors in attaining better health outcomes, making it vital to interrogate the methods in which they influence the delivery of care. Patient preferences and decision-making are vital features of healthcare delivery. Patients have distinctive values, beliefs, and goals influencing their healthcare decisions. Patient-centered care entails comprehending and respecting these preferences and ardently involving patients in decision-making (Araki, 2019). Shared decision-making between patients and healthcare providers stimulates better communication, improving patient contentment and enhancing health outcomes. Healthcare providers must recognize patient preferences, offer precise and comprehensible information, and support patients in making informed decisions. The participative perspective to decision-making empowers patients to take an active role in their care, ensuring that treatment orients with their values and preferences. This essay will explore the impact of incorporating patient preferences and values on the outcome of their treatment plan, look at patient preferences in nursing, and finally, at the benefits of patient preferences in treatment decisions.
Consequences of Incorporating Patient Preferences
In a healthcare setting, a patient complained of dizziness and was diagnosed with high blood pressure. The nurse managing the patient involved the patient in assessing and treating the disorder. After the outcome of the diagnosis results, the nurse had a short dialog with the patient developing a treatment plan. Incorporating patient values and preferences ultimately enabled the nurse to modify intervention for the disease. The nurse and the patient agreed that the patient should exercise three days a week and eat a healthy diet to restrain the disorder (Kaminsky et al., 2022). The patient’s engagement in the treatment plan improved the patient’s satisfaction towards the nurse and the intervention. The patient’s values and preferences impacted the course of the condition. Incorporating patient preferences into the treatment plan can impact the course situation by improving the quality of clinical intervention, enabling the nurse to come up with a response to enhance patient outcomes (Muth et al., 2019). Incorporating patient preferences into treatment plans can also improve the efficiency of the treatment. The patient adhered to the prescribed medication as the patient was consulted before the prescription was given, having a long time before coming back to the facility regarding high blood pressure hence minimizing hospital readmission. Healthcare providers need to incorporate patient preferences into the treatment of their patients as it improves patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Patient Preferences and Values in Nursing Care
Patient preference plays a critical role in furnishing high-quality nursing care allowing healthcare professionals to modify their perspective to each patient’s idiosyncratic needs and values. Patient preferences in nursing care is the individual’s needs, inclination, and values of a patient taken into deliberation when planning and delivering nursing care, and it includes numerous features of care like the type of treatment or medication being received, the amount of communication and interaction received from their nurse, the environmental preferences, and the cultural and spiritual values shaping their beliefs and behaviors (Mukamel et al., 2019). Some essential factors influencing patient preferences include age, gender, cultural background, personal values, and health status. This can be evident as an older adult may prefer a private and calm environment compared to a younger patient, who may prefer more social interaction and engagement. Also, a patient from a specific cultural background may have particular dietary preferences or religious practices requiring to be taken into consideration. Nurses must communicate with patients and look for their preferences to offer individualized, patient-centered care. This may entail asking open-ended questions, ardently listening to the patient, and motivating them to express their requirements and concerns. By comprehending and appreciating patient preferences, nurses can develop a more positive and reassuring care environment leading to better outcomes and higher patient contentment.
Benefits of Patient Preferences in Treatment Decisions
Patient preferences play a critical role in treatment decisions, influencing the patient’s overall experience and health outcomes. Some benefits of patient preferences in treatment decisions include enhanced patient satisfaction (Delaney, 2018). When patients are considered in decision-making, they feel more empowered and satisfied with their care. Healthcare providers can enhance the patient experience and maximize their overall satisfaction with their treatment when they consider patient preferences. Another benefit of patient preferences in treatment decisions is increased treatment adherence. Patients can adhere to their treatment plan when they feel their preferences and values are being considered. By comprehending patient preferences, healthcare providers can modify treatment plans to meet the patient’s idiosyncratic needs increasing treatment adherence and enhancing health outcomes. Patient preference in treatment decisions can improve communication, patient safety, and patient-centered care (Mason et al., 2019). Patient preferences are essential elements of patient-centered care, a healthcare perspective prioritizing the patient’s distinctive needs and preferences. Incorporating patient preferences into treatment decisions can enable healthcare providers to ensure that care is individualized and patient-centered and aims to enhance patient outcomes.
Conclusion
Patient preferences and decision-making are vital features of healthcare delivery. Patients have distinctive values, beliefs, and goals influencing their healthcare decisions. Patient-centered care entails comprehending and respecting these preferences and ardently involving patients in decision-making. Incorporating patient preferences and values into treatment decision-making is vital for attaining the best feasible outcomes. Nursing professionals play a crucial role in comprehending and appreciating patient preferences leading to greater patient contentment and adhesiveness to treatment plans. Healthcare providers can develop a more patient-centered perspective considering the whole person rather than their medical situations if they allow patients to have an agile role in the care. Patient preferences can enhance treatment outcomes, improve patient-provider communication, and maximize patient contentment. Healthcare providers must concede and value patient preferences to enhance their quality of care.
References
Araki, M. (2019). Patient-centered care and professional nursing practices. Journal of Biomedical Research and Clinical Investigation, 1(1), 1004.
Delaney, L. J. (2018). Patient-centered care as an approach to improving health care in Australia. Collegian, 25(1), 119-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2017.02.005
Kaminsky, L. A., German, C., Imboden, M., Ozemek, C., Peterman, J. E., & Brubaker, P. H. (2022). The importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 70, 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2021.12.001
Mason, N. R., Sox, H. C., & Whitlock, E. P. (2019). A patient‐centered approach to comparative effectiveness research focused on older adults: lessons from the Patient‐Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 67(1), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15655
Mukamel, D. B., Ladd, H., Amin, A., & Sorkin, D. H. (2019). Patients’ preferences over care settings for minor illnesses and injuries. Health Services Research, 54(4), 827-838. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13154
Muth, C., Blom, J. W., Smith, S. M., Johnell, K., Gonzalez‐Gonzalez, A. I., Nguyen, T. S., … & Valderas, J. M. (2019). Evidence supporting the best clinical management of patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy: a systematic guideline review and expert consensus. Journal of internal medicine, 285(3), 272-288. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12842
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