Public Lecture: Family-centeredness in healthcare

Description

The family is an important social unit in society and is often seen as a system amongst other systems. For example, the family system and the healthcare system are seen as separately functioning systems. The family is the place and space where life begins, is quite complex in structure, shape, size and engagement but it is the space of comfort, care and support. Family members affect each other intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, physically, psychologically. The healthcare system is the space for providing care and support so that the patient shifts from illness to being well. The family and healthcare systems integrate when the family member is discharged and the family has to ‘take over’ the care and support role. Often a patient-centred or person-centred approach is used but with children, the family, mainly mothers are considered and engaged to continue with at-home care. Literature shows that family-centred care is more prevalent in paediatrics and disability rather than studies focusing on less vulnerable yet ill family members The evidence shows that family-centeredness in health care improves many aspects of the integration of family and healthcare. These include the improvement of the quality of health care, knowledge and skills about health care, quality of life, as well as reduced stress, anxiety and depression. The relationships between family members and health care workers also improved. Given the complexities of families, is there a universal approach to how family-centeredness is provided in health care? What are the components of a universal approach? This lecture will attempt to answer these questions.

Period	8 Dec 2022
Held at	School of Business, Education and Law
Degree of Recognition	Local