Brian P. Jacob, David C. Chen, Bruce Ramshaw, Shirin Towfigh (eds.) - The SAGES Manual of Groin Pain-Springer International Publishing (2016)

46. Patient Care Manager Perspective on Chronic Groin Pain…
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Following discharge from the hospital, there must be no assumption
that the care is complete or that all needs of the patient have been met.
The patient care manager and the clinical team must make follow-up
calls to be sure the recovery is taking the proper track. Additional clinic
visits must be arranged and the patient made aware of the importance of
those visits. If long-term care is required, the terms and basis for that
care must be carefully set forth to assure that the ongoing needs of the
patient are met. For patients on chronic opioid medications, the patient
care manager often facilitates communication and pain management
with a pain specialist near the patient’s home.
Patient-Centered Care for the Entire Cycle of Care
“Patient-centered care” involves approaching every element of the
entire process (medical, surgical, social, emotional, etc.) from before the
initial clinic visit (first contact) to the final and ultimate end of the cycle
of care from the patient’s perspective. How the patient perceives the
care received may very well determine whether or not the treatment was
successful. Thinking like the patient, talking like the patient, and even
feeling like the patient are essential elements in providing “patientcentered
care.”
The subject of “patient-centered care” is more critical in the mind of
the patient and the patient’s family than it can ever be to a caregiver or
administrator at a medical facility. That is the foundation, in fact, of the
entire concept of “patient-centered care.” Viewing medical care and
treatment from the perspective of the patient and the patient’s family
may well clarify the reasoning behind a method of care that focuses on
more than the medical condition of the patient but also on the patient’s
emotions and psyche as he/she prepares for, undergoes, and follows up
his/her own care. There are some specific behavioral patterns that are
essential for the caregiver to follow in order to be sure the patient is truly
at the center of the care given. This pattern from the perspective of the
patient, and the spouse, sibling, parents, or offspring of the patient,
involves seven specific and overlapping procedures—to listen, to understand,
to question, to instruct, to listen, to reinforce, and to reassure.
Obviously, as you read these seven items, you notice that listening is
included twice, indicating that it is the central and most important element
to ensure that the entire care process is successful in the mind of the
patient. Listening is the first element in the care cycle for the care team.
As the patient comes forward and attempts to explain his/her condition,
listening involves more than just hearing words and understanding symp-