The COVID-19 Pandemic and Silver Linings for Patient-Centered Care

摘要

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine concluded work in partnership with the Family Medicine for America’s Health (FMAHealth) initiative regarding the addition of a public member to its Board of Directors.1,2 Through this work, ADFM engaged public and patient members of family medicine organizations’ Boards of Directors2 to reflect on the intent of these roles in organized family medicine. Underpinning all of the efforts to engage the public and patients in the work of organized family medicine is a conviction to ensure we are putting the patient and welfare of the public and our communities at the center of what we do. An irony reported in 2019 by Stollenwerk et al is that realizing the promise of patient-centered care is easier to articulate than to implement.3 This irony has become a new reality as Alexander and Perkins reported in July 2020 with the pandemic providing a stark wake-up call to change care delivery and to change how we train and prepare doctors for the future.4 They note that “in response to COVID-19, we and others were able to transform the health care system in a matter of weeks.” Meanwhile, Krist, DeVoe and colleagues also reported in July 2020 that primary care had to reinvent itself to protect clinicians and staff and while remaining connected to patients.5