C LI NI CA L E DITOR IAL
CLIENT- AND FAMILY-CENTERED CARE: LET’S TALK ABOUT IT! Written by: TAMARA KITTELSON, MS, OTR/L, ATP/SMS
Client-, patient- and family-centered care is a buzz phrase these days. No matter what you call them, the people with whom we work are the focus of what we do — whether acquiring their first wheelchair or a veteran rider, our ability to focus the process on the individual and their circle of support can make or break it for all concerned. In the 1980s I was schooled in this concept as an early intervention therapist. My real training began when my youngest child was born, and I found myself in a parent/professional’s no man’s land (see Figure 1). In my sparsely populated state, I knew every child with cerebral palsy within a four-hour radius but was unprepared for the transition to having my own. My colleagues were also unprepared and were not sure what to do with me or my daughter when lightning struck too close to home (our office). I am grateful now for the doorway into a world not everyone can enter and appreciate. Therefore client- and caregiver-centered care is important to me, and why I am sharing “Eight principles
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DIRECTIONS 2022.3
of patient-centered care” adapted to our work in Complex Rehab Technology (CRT).
1. RESPECT PATIENTS’ VALUES, PREFERENCES AND EXPRESSED NEEDS We must draw our clients into shared decision making. While individuals all have unique values and preferences, not all feel comfortable expressing them — especially in the face of “experts” who are viewed as more knowledgeable. Past experiences with medical professionals may have reinforced this feeling.
2. COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF CARE A person may have a new condition requiring CRT or be a veteran rider. But everyone needs coordinated care. Communication with all care team members
