gms | German Medical Science

Background and state of (inter)national research: Patient-centered care (PCC) is a key principle of high-quality healthcare. In Latin America, research on and promotion of PCC have taken place in the past. However, thorough implementation of PCC in practice is still missing [1]. In Germany, an integrative model of patient-centeredness [2] has been developed by synthesis of diverse concepts of PCC. The model could serve as a point of reference for further research on the implementation of PCC, however, it is predominantly based on research from Europe and North America.

Research question and objective: The present scoping review therefore aimed to accumulate research on PCC in Latin America in the past 15 years and analyze how PCC has been conceptualized

Method or hypothesis: Scientific databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, SCIELO, Redalyc.) were be searched, and reference and citation tracking was be performed. Studies were included if they were carried out in Latin America, investigated PCC in any clinical and community setting (public and private), and were published in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese since 2006. Furthermore, any theoretical framework or conceptual model to guide how PCC is conceptualized in Latin America was included. Two reviewers were responsible for the identification of articles, screening of records, and full-text assessment.

Results: Of the 2.105 articles collected in the primary search, 27 articles were eventually included in the analysis. In addition, grey literature was searched and five of initial 41 articles were added. Thus, 32 articles were analyzed in this scoping review. The articles originate from Brazil (15), Chile (6), Mexico (5), Colombia (1), Honduras (1), or diverse countries in Latin America (4). The main concepts discussed were patient- or person-centered care (20), family-centered care (11), and the biomedical model (1). Detailed results will be presented at the conference.

Discussion: The resulting overview of PCC in Latin America will be a foundation for a subsequent mixed-methods study aiming at the adaptation of the integrative model of patient-centeredness to the Latin American health care context.

Practical implications: The integrative model will enable the dissemination of the concept of PCC in Latin America in science as well as practice and will provide a common ground for further research on the topic. The project will thereby make an important contribution to an evidence based implementation of PCC in Latin America.

Appeal for practice in one sentence: An established model of PCC and its adaptation to country specific circumstances can serve the promotion and implementation of PCC around the world.

Funding: Einzelförderung (BMG, DRV, BMBF, DFG, etc)