Person-Centered Integrative Diagnosis: Concepts and Procedures

Abstract

The person-centered integrative diagnosis (PID) is a model that aims at putting into practice the vision of person-centered medicine affirming the whole person of the patient in context as the center of clinical care and health promotion at the individual and community levels. The PID is a novel model of conceptualizing the process and formulation of clinical diagnosis. The PID presents a paradigm shift with a broader and deeper notion of diagnosis, beyond the restricted concept of nosological diagnoses. It involves a multilevel formulation of health status (both ill and positive aspects of health) through interactive participation and engagement of clinicians, patients, and families using all relevant descriptive tools (categorization, dimensions, and narratives). The current organizational schema of the PID comprises a multilevel standardized component model integrating three main domains. Each level or major domain addresses both ill health and positive aspects of health. The first level is the assessment of health status (ill health and positive aspects of health or well-being). The second level includes contributors to health, both risk factors and protective factors. The third major level includes health experience and values. Experience with the PID through a practical guide in Latin America supported the usefulness and adequacy of the PID model.