Ethnography Is the Pathmaker to Better Care: Paving the Way to a Patient‐centric Healthcare Model

Abstract

This paper presents a clear and flexible model for understanding the concept of patient‐centricity. This model emerged from our own ethnographic work in healthcare contexts, and was tested and strengthened with a literature review and interviews with experts and thought leaders in the healthcare industry. Our model posits that patient‐centric care should be Personalized, Hassle‐free, Active, Collective and Transparent (PHACT). Hospitals, payers, clinicians, Pharma and MedTech divisions (among others) can use these pillars as a guide to drive their transition to patient‐centricity. The underpinning principle for the PHACT model is that ethnographic inquiry is the necessary path‐maker for each stakeholder to understand the best ways to implement and maintain these five pillars of patient‐centric care in their particular healthcare context.