Patient-Centeredness during In-Depth Consultation in the Outpatient Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in Korea: Paradigm Shift from Disease to Patient

Sohn, Kyoung-Hee; Nam, Sarah; Joo, Jungmin; Kwon, Yong Jin; Yim, Jae-Joon

In conclusion, we found that, due to the provision of sufficient consultation time at a tertiary general hospital, patient-centeredness scores of patients with serious and noncurable diseases, and physicians' professionalism increased as shared decision making was strengthened. This was the first study on PCC in Korea. It highlighted the importance of sufficient consultation time in the currently distorted healthcare delivery system. Patients (particularly those with serious and rare diseases) and their families are always at the center of care, and they can be better served with government interventions in medical patient referral processes and consultation behavior management.