Text and photo: Ann Sofie Kaalen
“Person centered healthcare research is a complex phenomenon. It is needed for service improvements and change. Patient and service users can feel vulnerable as they journey through the health system. A person living with long-term health conditions like mental health problems, substance abuse, dementia, stroke, chronic pain, or diabetes have complex care needs that challenges the health system to respond in ways that keep the person at the center of planning and decision-making,” says Heidi Kapstad, Dean at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.
Patient first
“The focus on person centeredness in Norway goes back to the 1990’s, when the Minister of Health, Gudmund Hernes launched the slogan “The patient first!”. Creating person-centred services has become an international ambition. To realize this, more research and new research approaches are needed, and this book is our contribution,” said Hilde Eide, professor in Clinical Communication and Health Counseling at USN and co-author of the book.
No decision about me, without me
The challenge to person-centeredness in healthcare is global.
“In Norway and beyond, the political vision is to create a health service that place the patient as a person at the center of decision-making. Changing mindset and practice is not easy. Our present Minister of Health, Bent Høie, has made it his ground project to create the “patient’s health service”. The slogan is: No decision about me, without me,” says Hilde Eide.
“I am sure that this book will be of great benefit to them and to all researchers aiming to creating new knowledge, to improve person-centeredness in healthcare.
First PhD programme in Person-centered healthcare research
Although USN has gone through massive changes over the last few years with two big merges, the Faculty of Health has worked hard to put health centeredness on the map.
“Back in February 2008, something happened. We got two professor full-time positions. The journey started. We left the port with engagement, enthusiasm and sense of community to become the best Faculty of Health in Norway,” said dean Heidi Kapstad.
“After trying and failing, we finally made it, and since 2014 run the world’s first PhD programme in Person-centered healthcare research,” Heidi continued enthusiastically.
The five editors, all employed by the USN, have brought research from different fields and environments together and formed new joint authorships, and together they have turned the writing of the book into an innovative process.
Breaking new ground
“I am very proud of what we have produced, it’s breaking new ground in many ways”, says professor Brendan McCormack, who has been leading the editorial team.
“Over the past 20 years I have been engaged in the person-centeredness, it really has become a global movement. There are very few countries in the world that aren’t thinking about how they can readjust their health system to make them more person -centred”, he continues.
World-class
“I hope we are ready for our new ambition, and our new journey that is world-class: I want person-centered health research together with our partners worldwide.”
“We made it, and we can do it again, world-class!”, concludes Heidi with a smile.
Read more about the PhD programme in Person-centered Healthcare.
You can order the book here.