The Best Advice Guide on Patient-Centredness is a tool for family physicians and their teams that provides specific steps they can take to make their practices more focused and structured around the needs of their patients.

Patient-centered care is associated with many positive outcomes, including shorter recovery periods, better treatment adherence and improved chronic condition management. Importantly, it leads to higher satisfaction for both the patient and the provider.

The document examines patient-centredness as a key feature of the Patient’s Medical Home model. It offers advice on how to achieve patient-centredness in a family practice through:

• Patient engagement in care
• Shared decision-making
• Encouraging self-care
• Continuous quality improvement and patient feedback
• Effective use of interprofessional teams
• Technology, including electronic medical records and e-mail
• Increased access to care