Facilitating Patient Centeredness Through Information Work

Abstract

The notion that professionals working in health carewhether physician, pharmacist, nurse, or librariancan be perceived as guests in the lives of patients can serve as a powerful philosophy when designing services for patients. Librarians in health care organizations can contribute to this patient-centered approach to care through a variety of relationships: that with the patient, the clinicians, and the organizations facilitating the care. Using the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Crossing the Quality Chasm definition and discussion of patient centeredness, a view of how librarians should interact with patients and providers to support patient-centered service will emerge. A personal story of how sharing information in a guest/host fashion to improve care is provided. Examples of services that contribute to supporting this type of relationship at various stages of the care continuum will be reviewed. New ways of collaborating are presented to provide librarians with concrete ideas and examples of how to shift their effort and the work of their organization toward the quality aim of patient-centered care.

Key Words:

• Patientphysician relationship
• patient-centered care
• consumer health centers
• communication
• patient-librarian relationship