Measuring with quality: the example of person-centred care

Abstract

Qualitative data analysis should be embedded in routine health service measurement, management and organizational practices. The rigorous use of such analyses should become an institutional norm, comparable to the routine use of quantitative data. Our case is intended to have general relevance, but we develop it by reference to person-centred care and patient-centred outcome measures (PCOMs). The increased use of qualitative data analysis of individualized PCOMs is a crucial complementary counterweight to steps towards the standardization of PCOMs. More broadly, our argument is that health care organizations cannot make confident judgements about whether they are offering appropriate care without collecting qualitative data on what matters to individual patients. Introducing properly supported and conducted qualitative data analyses is important in its own right, and also helps underpin the validity and usefulness of quantitative measurement.

Reflecting on challenges and opportunities for the practice of person-centred rehabilitation

“…99 It may be that evaluations need to move beyond measures as we conventionally understand them, and move towards integrating more qualitative, creative and participatory approaches to evaluating personcentred rehabilitation. 100 Learn from diverse perspectives of person-centred rehabilitation: An example from Māori culture Learning from diverse worldviews has the potential to enhance and augment our current understanding of person-centred rehabilitation. Angus Macfarlane, a Māori scholar, argues that when professionals develop understanding and awareness of the knowledge, beliefs, values and traditions that may be produced and perpetuated through 'mainstream' culture, they may be more likely to be respectful of and responsive to other cultures and perspectives.…”

“… 99 It may be that evaluations need to move beyond measures as we conventionally understand them, and move towards integrating more qualitative, creative and participatory approaches to evaluating person-centred rehabilitation. 100 …”

Person-centred care and measurement: The more one sees, the better one knows where to look

“…The paper by Cribb 4 in this issue of the Journal of Health Services Research & Policy highlights this problem precisely, that is, the interchangeable use of patient-and person-centred care and a lack of definition of either! 4 In 2017, Dewing and McCormack 5 highlighted the problem of researchers evaluating person-centredness without defining what they mean. After more than 20 years of research in this field, including the publication of concepts, models, theories and frameworks, it is unacceptable not to present a clear definition as a basis of an evaluation methodology.…”

“…This failure has also been reflected in approaches to measurement and evaluation. The paper by Cribb 4 in this issue of the Journal of Health Services Research & Policy highlights this problem precisely, that is, the interchangeable use of patient- and person-centred care and a lack of definition of either! 4…”