Why patient centered care is so important

So in my pharmacy program we get a lot of lectures (and I mean a LOT) on what they call “patient centered care”. PCC is basically talking WITH a patient, not lecturing them, and trying to find out what their experience, motivations and concerns might be. We hear about it so much it almost becomes a joke … if you don’t know the answer on a test, just write patient-centered care. But seriously, it does make a difference.

In 2006 I got a call that my mother was going to the hospital for emergency surgery and that she only had a 50% chance of surviving (see the full story here if you really want to know details). So I packed my suitcase, booked a flight and took a taxi at 5 in the morning, not knowing how things were going and without any sleep. I almost missed my connection in Toronto but arrived in Calgary. Needless to say packing wasn’t my highest priority.

After all the events of the week, I was left in a state of shock. Being the only child in my family, it was up to me to decide what to do with my mother’s clothing, furniture, kitchen items, car and apartment. I was staying with my aunt who kindly cared for me while I dealt with everything. I have asthma (which I gather was fairly serious as a child although it is generally well managed now) and my aunt smokes and also was caring for my mother’s dog. Needless to say my asthma was getting pretty bad. I decided I would stay at my mother’s apartment for a night to go through her things and also get a break from the allergens. I have to say my mother was a heavy smoker and ALL of her items were heavily saturated in third hand smoke (yes, it does exist). The more I worked, the worse my breathing got. By about 11 PM Dan and I decided to go for a walk outside to get some fresh air, and after about a block I said “I need to walk to the hospital.” so we did.

They checked my oxygen saturation on intake (which was fine) and the intake nurse was really kind to us. When I went into the ER a nurse took my history and I explained about the events and the emergency situation. I guess she didn’t bother to tell the doctor or write it down on the chart (or he didn’t read it), because he came and gave me a lecture about how I didn’t pack my aerochamber. Yes, the FIRST thing that was on my mind at 3 in the morning when I was trying to get my credit card limit increased to book a flight to see whether my mom was still alive the next day was … “where’s my aerochamber?”. Needless to say he probably looked at me and thought “irresponsible” and “waste of health care resources” while I thought he was insensitive and too lazy or self-important to ask me why I didn’t have it.

So … yes patient centered care does matter. You never know what someone is going through unless you ask. The doctor could have explained how it’s a good idea to keep an aerochamber available at all times (without being judgmental) or could have given me advice on other therapies I could have taken or places I could have gone (e.g. pharmacy, clinic) to get advice for my worsening asthma. Although this was both frustrating and disappointing, it was a good lesson in what NOT to do. I hope I can be more empathetic to patients I encounter in the future than this person was to me!

Ok time to study for my midterm now…