Table 2.

Employee conceptualizations of patient‐centred care, organized by alignment with empirical literature

Theme	Exemplary quote
Well aligneda
Biopsychosocial perspective	“[Medical providers] go into the healthcare field with a certain perspective, but patients have an entire family and environment that is affected by their health”—Social Worker
Patient‐as‐person	Being patient‐centred means “there's that personal touch, and personal communication, so they're not just name and last 4 [of their social security number]. When they come in, people know who they are, recognize ‘em…The clerk would know those patients, and would be able to say, you know, ‘Hi Mr. Smith,’ and remember something personal about that person. …You know, oh, you've got a new grandchild, how's it going, or, you know, or, or your son's graduating from high school, I remember you told me about that”—Patient‐Centred Care, Leadership
Sharing power and responsibility	“Patients call the shots. Doctors are helping them achieve their goals.”—Lead Nurse“What the doctor thinks is the best course of treatment is not what the patient necessarily selects”—Chief of Information Technology
Therapeutic alliance	Patient‐centred care requires “taking the time to know and engage the patient”—Senior Management Team
Doctor‐as‐person	“It's about empowering providers in the work setting, so that they have the best tools available to them to pursue wellness, both personally and professionally, so that they are able to partner with patients”—Psychologist
Extending to the organizational level
Cultural Shift	“Patient‐Centered Care is not a movement; perhaps individual initiatives are, but Patient‐Centered Care is a way of doing things”—Senior Management Team
Atmosphere enhances Patient‐Centred Care	“It's about how patients feel when they walk into a facility and how they are greeted by staff. Do they feel safe? Do they have trust in their care?”—Chief of Specialty Care
Unaligned
What I've always done	In response to a request to define Patient‐Centred Care, a psychologist replied “everything we do [in mental health] is patient‐centered. I don't know what you mean”—Psychologist
Multifaceted	“Patient‐Centered Care is a broad umbrella for encompassing everything”—Senior Management Team

^aAlignment with Mead and Bower's review of patient‐centred care literature.