What is the primary goal of patient-centered care?

The primary goal of patient-centered care is to involve patients in their own healthcare decisions. This approach prioritizes the individual preferences, needs, and values of patients, recognizing them as active participants in their care process rather than passive recipients. It emphasizes the importance of effective communication and partnerships between healthcare providers and patients, ensuring that care is aligned with what matters most to the patients themselves. By doing so, patient-centered care promotes better health outcomes, improves patient satisfaction, and fosters a greater sense of autonomy and empowerment among individuals regarding their health management.

In the context of the other options, while minimizing healthcare costs, standardizing treatment protocols, and enhancing hospital efficiency may be important considerations in the healthcare system, they do not capture the essence of patient-centered care. Instead, they can sometimes conflict with the need to tailor care to individual patients. The focus on patients’ involvement in their own decisions is what sets patient-centered care apart as a fundamental principle of quality healthcare delivery.