Patient-centered care is increasingly recognized as crucial in healthcare, especially for chronic conditions like endometriosis. For women facing endometriosis, a condition with a high recurrence rate impacting quality of life, this approach prioritizes individual needs and preferences. But what does patient centered care mean specifically in secondaries, or secondary healthcare settings? A recent study conducted in Indonesia sheds light on this important question by evaluating the implementation of patient-centered endometriosis care (PCEC) in both tertiary and secondary hospitals.
This research, utilizing the ENDOCARE Questionnaire (ECQ), assessed patient experiences across different healthcare centers. Center-1, representing tertiary care and equipped with endometriosis training and guidelines, was compared to Center-2, embodying secondary care. The study measured key aspects of patient-centeredness, including respect for patient values, care coordination, information and communication, physical comfort, and the quality of clinical staff interactions.
The findings revealed a significant difference in patient-centeredness scores between the two center types. Patients in Center-1, the tertiary center, reported considerably higher scores across all dimensions evaluated. Notably, the dimensions of “Respect for patients’ values, preferences, and needs” and “Information, communication, and education” showed the most striking disparities. This suggests that secondary care settings, like Center-2 in the study, may face challenges in delivering care that fully aligns with patient-centered principles compared to tertiary centers with specialized training and established guidelines.
Furthermore, the study highlighted that patients with higher education levels and those who had experienced endometriosis recurrence reported greater patient-centeredness scores. This could indicate a heightened awareness and expectation of patient-centered care among these groups.
In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of endometriosis-specific training and clinical guidelines in fostering patient-centered care, particularly in secondary healthcare environments. For secondary settings, focusing on enhancing communication, providing clear and understandable information about treatment, and actively respecting patient preferences are crucial steps. Ultimately, ensuring patient-centered care in all settings, including secondary care, is vital to improving the experiences and health-related quality of life for women managing endometriosis.
