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Thoughts on Citizen Empowerment and Person-centred Care

4th December 2018

Thoughts on Citizen Empowerment and Person-centred Care

Everywhere you look in the medical literature at the moment you find references to citizen empowerment and person-centred care. I suspect that these phrases are often included because there is an expectation by the author that they must be included! However, the real challenge is how do you turn these simple words into reality. Particularly at a time when health and care services are under significant pressure from rising demand and constrained finances. Over the past couple of years there appears to be a grudging realisation that the “new kid on the block” of technology enabled care may actually have a real part to play in the development of sustainable health and care services. Consumer electronic companies have understood for many years that the creation of environments which not only meets their customers expectations but also meets their needs by making their interactions hassle free and over time more personalised makes for a happy and loyal customer. Why are we in the health and care system so slow to learn?