Human-centered healthcare: An organizing principle for reinforcing the humanity of healthcare.

Abstract

As noted in the Glasgow Consensus Statement on Effective Communication in Clinical Encounters, the need to reinforce the humanity of healthcare "has perhaps never been more apparent".[1] While the consensus statement focused on clinical encounters, the call for culture change is starkly reflected in every facet of healthcare. Accordingly, this discussion paper makes the case for culture change grounded in a new organizing principle - human-centered healthcare - that values the humanity and perspective of everyone involved in any aspect of healthcare to collaboratively improve the experience, delivery, and outcomes of care. Building on this organizing principle, the commentary articulates a broadly applicable view of the overarching tasks first outlined in the consensus statement, presents a set of sample behaviors associated with these tasks, and shares insights from healthcare leaders who advocate a 'humans come first' mentality. Finally, it provides a real-world viewpoint on how culture change that delivers on the promise of human-centered healthcare can make it easier to elevate outcomes that matter by transcending traditional (i.e., siloed) improvement initiatives and adopting a more integrated approach.