What does a people-centered environment mean in cancer treatment?
The role of empathy in oncology care
Integrating patient voices into care design
Creating supportive spaces for patients and families
Leveraging technology to enhance patient-centered care
Examples of people-centered programs in action
Challenges and opportunities in fostering a people-centered approach
The future of people-centered cancer treatment
References
Further reading
The new World Cancer Day theme for 2025-2027 is "United by Unique," with a focus on placing people at the center of care, with each diagnosis having a person behind it, with a unique human story comprising a multitude of emotions. The World Cancer Day 2025 initiative calls on governments, organizations, and institutions with the power to make people-centered cancer care a reality.9
What does a people-centered environment mean in cancer treatment?
People-centered care places people at the center of the care process, including placing focus on the needs of patients, healthcare professions, and organizations.1
Patient-centered care encompasses six areas, including (i) physical comfort, (ii) emotional support, (iii) respect for patient's preferences and values, (iv) integration and coordination, (v) involvement of their support systems, i.e., families and friends; (vi) and supply of information, communication, and education for more informed decision-making.2
Utilizing a people-centered approach can challenge the biomedical care model, which is used in oncology intensive care units (ICUs) that focuses instead on disease and progression. Often, this leads to patients and their support systems being excluded from decision-making, resulting in fragmented, disorganized, and unsustainable treatment.1
The role of empathy in oncology care
Empathy is one of the most significant communication skills within clinical practice, especially in oncology care. Clinical empathy can aid healthcare professionals to perform more positively, which enables patients to express their emotions more easily, allowing their emotional needs to be recognized and responded to appropriately.3
Clinical empathy in cancer treatment is required due to cancer patients being more vulnerable as a result of the changes in their quality of life and the overall decline of their health from treatment side effects.3
For nurses, in particular, clinical empathy in cancer treatment may be deemed more significant, with the development of nurse-patient communication in the oncology ward being critical for patients to ease their psychological distress. Additionally, the frequent hospitalization of cancer patients enables nurses and other healthcare professionals to carry out compassionate practices to bond with patients, building trust, which can lead to more opportunities to identify and respond to patient needs.3
Image Credit: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock.com
A review study demonstrated the significance of this empathetic relationship in improving outcomes of care and treatment in patients in two ways.3,4
Firstly, this approach led to self-disclosure of patient concerns, which subsequently enabled more information to be acquired, resulting in a higher level of accuracy in diagnosis, as well as more perception and responsibility of the healthcare professional to the personal requirements of the patient, producing better outcomes.3,4
Secondly, having an empathetic relationship provides patients with the feeling that they are being listened to and valued as a person, which also indirectly results in improved patient outcomes.3,4
Integrating patient voices into care design
Good communication and empathy are significant actionable areas for delivering patient-centered cancer care by healthcare professionals and providers, including (i) asking patients about their problems, preferences, and needs; (ii) offering help to patients about a problem that is noticed or identified; (iii) and identifying whether patients experience relief from their suffering and delivery of care that is consistent with their preferences, needs, and values.2
These patient-reported measurement indicators can be useful in improving the quality of care of patients. Additionally, measuring whether patients have been asked about their concerns, values, and preferences is significant for many reasons, particularly in people-centered cancer care.2
If an issue or preference is not recognized or understood by a healthcare provider, it cannot be appropriately treated or incorporated into a patient's cancer care plan.2
'Active' patient participation is associated with more positive health outcomes. However, if patients lack the knowledge or skills to engage with health professionals, prompting them or offering help can ensure they are satisfied with their care.2
Creating supportive spaces for patients and families
A cancer diagnosis leads to several consequences, such as physical, psychological, social, and personal, with patients having to balance daily responsibilities with their pain and fatigue, inability to work, or feelings of loneliness.5
Creating supportive spaces for patients and families can enhance cancer care support systems, with family relationships usually changing with a cancer diagnosis. For many patients, this can lead to family members and grown children moving closer to take care of their parents, leading to a closer relationship with family members.5
Having space for family and friends in treatment centers and facilities can alleviate some of the overwhelming changes patients feel; some patients may have a new focus on completing their "bucket lists," which may include making new friends and having social activities – these can help provide a purpose for patients when their health is deteriorating, and their independence is challenged.5
The design of cancer care support centers is integral to the wellbeing of patients, with many architects designing the space with patients and their families in mind. For example, Margaret's Place Hospice in Dundas, Ontario, Canada, consists of an open two-story great room as the central hub, located at the edge of a wooded ravine, with peaceful views and living space for patients, families, and caregivers, as well as barbeque areas and quiet spaces.6
Leveraging technology to enhance patient-centered care
The use of advanced telemedicine technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) can transform the capacity of remote healthcare, with advancements in patient care, monitoring symptoms, as well as providing diagnostics and overall medical treatment.7
AI tools have also progressed virtual healthcare, enabling real-time monitoring of health statuses and higher accuracy in diagnoses. These tools deliver health care remotely, providing medical services over great distances without the individual having to visit a healthcare center and see a physician in person.7
Digital health platforms have improved patient access and communication for patients who live in underserved and remote areas, which can now be provided with critical medical care using innovative remote healthcare solutions.7
AI-driven remote healthcare can also provide personalized treatment with tools that enable medical image interpretation, predictions of patient outcomes, as well as real-time monitoring to diagnose patients accurately. Additionally, large datasets, which inform AI algorithms, can provide personalized care for patients and improve patient experience and satisfaction.7
Examples of people-centered programs in action
In 2022, in an attempt to be more people-centered, Great Ormond Street Hospital opened two new family accommodations, which consisted of a free place to stay for parents and carers of their patients who require urgent and specialist care.8
This family-focused facility for 40 people, only 90 seconds away from the children's hospital, features bedrooms, kitchens, quiet rooms, lounge rooms, laundry, and dining rooms and ensures that patient needs are being met outside of just treating the disease. Ensuring families are taken care of also has a knock-on effect on patients who experience a more restful caretaker who can support them to the fullest.8
Challenges and opportunities in fostering a people-centered approach
Common barriers to implementing a people-centered approach include (i) funding, with the costs to achieving goals being a key consideration when planning; (ii) staff shortages, which can prevent identification and progress of goals for patient care; (iii) and poor inter-sectoral integration of health and community care sectors, which if solved could support patients with complex health or substance use disorders.10
Other challenges involve the variation of family support, as some individuals may not have any family members to support them, which can make it difficult to identify goals for patients who have communication difficulties. Additionally, communication itself may also be a challenge, as non-verbal patients would be more difficult to support in a people-centered care model.10
These challenges, while difficult, may lead to more opportunities for collaboration and creativity; for example, visual aids and pictographic symbols can be used to communicate with non-verbal patients to ensure their needs are being met.10
The future of people-centered cancer treatment
Evolving practices and policies have the potential to shape oncology care in the future, with more hospitals and organizations adopting a people-centered cancer care approach.9,10
Additionally, with the advancement of digital healthcare and telemedicine and the use of AI algorithms by healthcare providers, personalized care and innovative cancer care practices may also become a normal and successful approach for all, no matter the distance.7
References
- Botma Y, Herselman H, Heyns T. Understanding of 'Person-Centred Care' in an Oncology ICU: Associative Group Analysis. Heliyon. 2024;10(19). doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38592.
- Zucca A, Sanson-Fisher R, Waller A, Carey M. Patient-Centred Care: Making Cancer Treatment Centres Accountable. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2014;22(7):1989-1997. doi:10.1007/s00520-014-2221-4.
- Rohani C, Sedaghati M, Mohtashami J. Clinical Empathy with Cancer Patients: A Content Analysis of Oncology Nurses' Perception. Patient Preference and Adherence. 2018;Volume 12:1089-1098. doi:10.2147/ppa.s156441.
- Derksen F, Bensing J, Lagro-Janssen A. Effectiveness of Empathy in General Practice: A Systematic Review. British Journal of General Practice. 2013;63(606). doi:10.3399/bjgp13x660814.
- Jacobs ML, Clawson J, Mynatt ED. Articulating a Patient-Centered Design Space for Cancer Journeys. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Pervasive Health and Technology. 2017;3(9). doi:10.4108/eai.21-3-2017.152394. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.21-3-2017.152394
- Walker T. Photo Tour: Margaret's Place Hospice. HCD Magazine. https://healthcaredesignmagazine.com/projects/photo-tour-margarets-place-hospice/. Published February 13, 2022. Accessed January 20, 2025.
- Chaturvedi U, Chauhan SB, Singh I. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Remote Healthcare: Enhancing Patient Engagement, Connectivity, and Overcoming Challenges. Intelligent Pharmacy. January 2025. doi:10.1016/j.ipha.2024.12.003.
- GOSH Charity Opens New Family Accommodation. NHS choices. https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/news/gosh-charity-opens-new-family-accommodation-powis-place/. Published August 9, 2022. Accessed January 20, 2025.
- "United by Unique", The New World Cancer Day theme 2025-2027. World Cancer Day. https://www.worldcancerday.org/the-campaign. Accessed January 20, 2025.
- Idrees S, Dong M, Young G, et al. Supports and Barriers to Creating and Implementing Person-Centred Plans in the Community Care Sector in Canada: A qualitative analysis of three perspectives. SSM - Health Systems. January 2025:100054. doi:10.1016/j.ssmhs.2025.100054.
Further Reading
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