06.12.2016

Patient - Centered Care and People - Centered Health Systems in Sub - Saharan Africa

Why So Little of Something So Badly Needed?

The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine "Patient–centered care (PCC) is increasingly recognized as a key dimension of quality healthcare, but unfortunately remains poorly implemented in practice. This paper explores the current state of PCC in sub-Saharan Africa and potential barriers to its implementation, with a focus on public first line health services. We develop an analytical framework based on expert knowledge, field experience, and a conceptual literature review.

(...) The training of health workers is key in that respect. Training models remain dominated by a biomedical perspective, with little attention for psychosocial dimensions of the illness experience. The second layer of determinants relates to the structural and organizational features of the health system." (Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia/flickr)