Alzheimer's: Sorting out the terminology associated with the three types of care

Are there distinguishing characteristics between the terminology used in health care delivery and quality improvement of person-directed care, person-centered care, and/or patient-directed care?

The terminology is definitely confusing. By changing the language, all the phrases emphasize that individuals are more than diseases and their socioeconomic determinants can affect their disease trajectories and care choices. It is important to distinguish the terminology because the anticipated outcomes and measuring their outcomes will also differ.

While often used interchangeably, patient-centered care. person-centered care and person-directed care have subtle differences in emphasis and scope.

Patient-centered care focuses on the individual patient as a medical consumer and emphasizes the pa