The Person-Centred Care Team

Working together in health services research to personalize health and health care.

Who We Are

The Person-Centred Care Team’s mission is to improve person-centred care (PCC) through measurement of PCC and patient-reported outcomes and experiences, while meaningfully engaging patients and community throughout the research cycle. Led by Dr. Maria J. Santana, we are also the home of the Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit Patient Engagement Team, the academic team for the Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) Training Program and collaborate internationally.

Person-centred care (PCC) emphasizes the holistic meaning of care incorporating the whole individual including the person’s well-being, ethno-cultural expression, preferences, and beliefs, and refrains from reducing the person to just their symptoms and/or disease. It is not limited to the care of the “patient” but rather allows for care of those who are not living with illness, including health promotion. [Santana et al 2020]

PCC is a model in which healthcare providers are encouraged to partner with patients and families to co-design and deliver individualized personalized care. PCC promotes engagement with patients and caregivers to improve patient experiences and outcomes.