Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care

<strong>Objectives.</strong> Replacing the disease-centered, paternalistic approach in healthcare with a person-centered model has become a widely recognized imperative. However, patients' perspectives on and experiences with real-life efforts to implement this approach to care are...

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Main Authors: Ekaterina Anderson, Renda Wiener, Brianne Molloy-Paolillo, Megan McCullough, Bo Kim, J. Irene Harris, Seppo Rinne, Barbara Bokhour
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Beryl Institute 2025-04-01
Series:Patient Experience Journal
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Online Access:https://pxjournal.org/journal/vol12/iss1/10
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author Ekaterina Anderson
Renda Wiener
Brianne Molloy-Paolillo
Megan McCullough
Bo Kim
J. Irene Harris
Seppo Rinne
Barbara Bokhour
author_facet Ekaterina Anderson
Renda Wiener
Brianne Molloy-Paolillo
Megan McCullough
Bo Kim
J. Irene Harris
Seppo Rinne
Barbara Bokhour
author_sort Ekaterina Anderson
collection DOAJ
description <strong>Objectives.</strong> Replacing the disease-centered, paternalistic approach in healthcare with a person-centered model has become a widely recognized imperative. However, patients' perspectives on and experiences with real-life efforts to implement this approach to care are rarely studied. We examined this issue at a health system with a prominent record of commitment to implementing person-centered care on the system level – the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA). For over a decade, VHA has been transforming itself into a Whole Health (WH) system of care that is person-centered, holistic, and empowering. <strong>Methods.</strong> We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 19 patients recruited from a single VA medical center and used a combination of qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis to generate themes. <strong>Results.</strong> We generated three themes. First, patients were largely unaware of WH as a concept or initiative, although some were able to retroactively use the newly introduced concept of WH to reflect on their past care. Second, whereas some patients grasped the meaning of WH easily, others displayed a lack of understanding, conflating WH with other models of care. Finally, when asked about their interest in experiencing WH care, some patients were enthusiastic; others were disinterested or expressed reservations. <strong>Conclusions.</strong> Patient perspectives from the VHA illustrate that implementing person-centered care requires a paradigm shift not only for clinicians but also for patients, who may be similarly accustomed to a biomedical approach and/or unaware of alternatives. To improve patient engagement in person-centered care, health systems ought to undertake targeted, iterative, multi-pronged education efforts.
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spelling doaj-art-31c4d776c9704f1f9cb53a77f5326a4e2025-08-20T02:32:30ZengThe Beryl InstitutePatient Experience Journal2372-02472025-04-0112110.35680/2372-0247.1984Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of CareEkaterina AndersonRenda WienerBrianne Molloy-PaolilloMegan McCulloughBo KimJ. Irene HarrisSeppo RinneBarbara Bokhour<strong>Objectives.</strong> Replacing the disease-centered, paternalistic approach in healthcare with a person-centered model has become a widely recognized imperative. However, patients' perspectives on and experiences with real-life efforts to implement this approach to care are rarely studied. We examined this issue at a health system with a prominent record of commitment to implementing person-centered care on the system level – the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA). For over a decade, VHA has been transforming itself into a Whole Health (WH) system of care that is person-centered, holistic, and empowering. <strong>Methods.</strong> We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 19 patients recruited from a single VA medical center and used a combination of qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis to generate themes. <strong>Results.</strong> We generated three themes. First, patients were largely unaware of WH as a concept or initiative, although some were able to retroactively use the newly introduced concept of WH to reflect on their past care. Second, whereas some patients grasped the meaning of WH easily, others displayed a lack of understanding, conflating WH with other models of care. Finally, when asked about their interest in experiencing WH care, some patients were enthusiastic; others were disinterested or expressed reservations. <strong>Conclusions.</strong> Patient perspectives from the VHA illustrate that implementing person-centered care requires a paradigm shift not only for clinicians but also for patients, who may be similarly accustomed to a biomedical approach and/or unaware of alternatives. To improve patient engagement in person-centered care, health systems ought to undertake targeted, iterative, multi-pronged education efforts.https://pxjournal.org/journal/vol12/iss1/10person-centered carepatient-centered carepatient engagementpatient experiencewhole healthu.s. department of veterans affairscopd
spellingShingle Ekaterina Anderson
Renda Wiener
Brianne Molloy-Paolillo
Megan McCullough
Bo Kim
J. Irene Harris
Seppo Rinne
Barbara Bokhour
Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care
Patient Experience Journal
person-centered care
patient-centered care
patient engagement
patient experience
whole health
u.s. department of veterans affairs
copd
title Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care
title_full Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care
title_fullStr Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care
title_full_unstemmed Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care
title_short Patient Perspectives on Implementing a Person-Centered Care System: Experiences From the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care
title_sort patient perspectives on implementing a person centered care system experiences from the u s veterans health administration s whole health system of care
topic person-centered care
patient-centered care
patient engagement
patient experience
whole health
u.s. department of veterans affairs
copd
url https://pxjournal.org/journal/vol12/iss1/10
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