The concept of person-centered care can be distinguished from a traditional treatment model which views the patient as a passive receiver of a medical intervention.
The overall perspective of the life situation of the patient is considered to create objectives and strategies for both short- and long-term monitoring.
[5] Within person-centered care, the patient is considered an independent and capable individual with their own abilities to make informed decisions.
For the patient, the person-centered approach allows for involvement and extended possibilities to take responsibility for their own health and treatment.
The person-centered approach also includes the person's abilities, or resources, wishes, health and well-being as well as social and cultural factors.
To fully live up to the person-centered care concept, patients should have full and easy access to all information and documentation about them.
For reasons of security, accessibility and cost effectiveness, all documentation should be digital and include all medical records.
The center conducts interdisciplinary research funded partly by the Swedish government's investments targeted towards care sciences.
[18] The holistic framework by McCormack and McCance consists of four constructs; prerequisites, the care environment, person-centred processes, and expected outcomes.
Patient-centered care is a concept that also emphasises the involvement of the patient and their families in the decision making of medical treatments.
[23][24][25] The concepts are very similar, although person-centered care places the emphasis on the healthcare provider, whereas the term health activation is used in reference to the attitude and behavior of the patient.