Patient Values – the Meaning for Healthcare

Healthcare professionals strive every day to deliver the best possible care for their patients. To achieve this ambition successfully, they have to balance between two worlds: 1) the rapidly evolving world of medical knowledge and technological possibilities, and 2) the individual values, preferences and needs of patients.
The blending of these two worlds in daily practice appears to be diffi cult and not straightforward. Increasing criticism has arisen on the weight of explicit, theoretical knowledge due to the fact that it results in a variety of guidelines and protocols where the relevance of the individual patient is lagging behind. An explanation for this conceptual problem could be an ill-defined understanding of what patient values imply and which specifi c roles they play in healthcare practice.

This thesis presents the journey of exploring diverse perspectives on the concept of patient values and creates a deeper understanding of them. This thesis also gives insight into the additional benefi t of patient values to improve care by using patient experiences as a objectifi able derivative. The fi ndings of this research can inform all involved sectors in the concept of patient values and its consequences for clinical practice and education.


Carla Bastemeijer is a physiotherapist in primary care, university lecturer of applied sciences and researcher at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. (bron: achterflap) Carla is lid van het Genootschap Gepersonaliseerde Zorg. Kijk voor de activiteiten van het Genootschap hier.

Carla Bastemeijer verdedigde haar proefschrift op 11 mei 2022 in Rotterdam. Je vindt het proefschrift hier

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