Personcentreret

Personcentreret is a Danish term used to describe approaches that place the person receiving care, services, or support at the center of planning and delivery. The concept emphasizes viewing each individual as a whole person with unique preferences, life history, values, and goals, and seeks to involve them actively in decisions about their care. It contrasts with provider-centered methods that prioritize routines, diagnoses, or standard protocols over the person’s own wishes.

Core principles commonly associated with person-centred practice include respect for the person’s dignity; shared decision-making; understanding the person’s life context; individualized care plans; acknowledgment of the person’s strengths and abilities; continuity and coordination across services; and transparent information exchange with the person and, where appropriate, their family or informal carers. The approach often involves eliciting values and preferences, using narrative or life-story approaches, and co-creating goals and care plans.

Applications are widespread in health and social care in Denmark, including nursing, elder care, dementia care, rehabilitation, mental health, palliative care, and social work. Implementation requires supportive leadership, adequacy of time for conversations, staff training, and information systems that document preferences and goals. Potential challenges include balancing autonomy with safety, resource constraints, and measuring outcomes.

In Danish discourse, term variants include “personcentreret pleje” or “personcentreret tilgang,” and it interrelates with but remains distinct from patient-centred (patientcentreret) or client-centred practice in other languages.