Exploring the wide range of terminology used to describe care that is patient-centred
During the planning phase of The King’s Fund’s The Point of Care programme, we undertook a literature review, starting with the term ‘patient-centred care’. We soon discovered the term not only had different meanings for different people but also that there were many related phrases with specific connotations in various professional contexts. When looking at the terminology that policymakers use, it seems that different terms – variations on ‘patient-centred care’ – have been favoured over the years.
