Introduction
The implementation of the Co-Design approach in Patient Engagement within the healthcare setting has been attributed to the improvements in many aspects of the patients’ experiences across various levels of the healthcare system. However, despite its potential to improve the patients’ experience of healthcare, the recent introduction of the approach still requires further studies in order to understand, develop and implement it to its full potential.
Patient Engagement
The definition of Patient Engagement often varies, as the term is frequently used synonymously with the likes of Patient Activation and Patient and Family-Centred Care. And although the terms are related, they are by no means identical …show more content…
With respects to the patient’s quality of care, the aspects that matters most to a patient in the context of healthcare is their access to information, options of treatment, mutual respect and freedom to interact with the health professionals, efficiency of the healthcare process and finally, to be treated as a patients rather than just another number (Donetto, Pierri, Tsianakas and Robert, …show more content…
It is therefore recommended that more studies are needed in order to further the understanding of the collaboration of patient’s engagement at the various levels of healthcare with regards to their impacts and interconnections (Barello et al., 2012). Once addressed, specific interventions can then be developed and implemented. Lastly, as the term dictates, the success of Co-Design requires the engagement of both parties within the healthcare setting. Meaning that if people fail to communicate specifically and effectively the goals they aim to achieve, the mismatch between the Co-Design and project goals can then result in the poor delivery of healthcare and the wastage of health resources (Barello et al., 2012).
Conclusion
The implementation of Co-Design has shown to have great potential in improving not only the Patient Engagement, but also the patients’ overall experience of healthcare. Additionally, many clinical reviews have supported the evidence associating Co-Design to the improvement of patients’ health outcomes across the various levels of healthcare. Consequently, due to the lack of understanding of Co-Design, the healthcare system is unable to