Increasing Equity in Pain Management, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, and Linkages to CARE

STRATEGY: Practice Patient-Centered Care (also referred to as person-centered care) Using a Strengths-Based Approach

What is a patient-centered, strengths-based approach to care? Patient-centered care recognizes the patient as a fully participating member of the care team who is actively involved in setting goals and making decisions relevant to their health and well-being. When creating a care plan, care teams can use a strengths-based approach to identify and amplify what is working well for the patient, rather than focusing on deficits and weaknesses. Importantly, a strengths based approach enables patients to tap into the resilience they have developed in the face of stigma, trauma, discrimination, and marginalization. Overall, the aim is to collaborate with the patient to recognize the internal strengths and community resources that have helped the patient overcome life challenges, and to integrate those strengths and assets into the care plan. Using a patient-centered, strengths-based approach to build the care plan ❚ Ask patients about their strengths and sources of resilience ● What is going right in the patient’s life? ● What are the assets and strengths of the patient’s family and communities? ● What is the patient already doing that is working right now, and what has worked in the past?

Eboni Winford gives pointers on how to use a patient-centered, strengths-based approach with patients.

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