Re-envisioning medical education: Integrating Carl Rogers’ person-centred approach for holistic healthcare in Taiwan

<ns4:p>Background In response to the rapid changes in healthcare and the rising emphasis on holistic patient well-being, Taiwan’s medical education faces the challenge of nurturing future physicians who possess not only strong scientific knowledge and clinical competence but also deep humanistic care. Grounded in Carl Rogers’ person-centred approach, this article explores how humanistic theory and holistic care principles can be implemented in Taiwanese clinical trainings. Methods A retrospective study investigated in the learning impact of the designed holistic care trainings. Retrospective data were collected during the educational activities: observation notes, reflective discussions and worksheets, and self-report evaluations, exploring holistic care competencies trainings across physical, psychological, spiritual, and social domains. 155 clinical practitioners from eight professions: 36 physicians, 35 nurses, 31 pharmacists, 28 physiotherapists, 9 occupational therapists, 7 social workers, 5 dietitians, and 4 psychologists, participated in workshops and reflective sessions. The qualitative and quantitative data were analysed with descriptive analysis, effect size and inductive coding methods. Results Participants’ holistic care competencies showed significant gains across all four domains, with notable effect size differences. Demographic analysis indicated a diverse sample of clinical practitioners representing multiple years of experience and varying educational backgrounds. Qualitative data highlighted the importance of human flourishing in medical education, as participants reported a deeper awareness of patient-centred care. Findings suggest that medical education programs should nurture human flourishing by embedding Carl Rogers’ person-centred philosophy into curricula. Inductive coding analysis led to the creation of a new person-centred medical education framework, clarifying how holistic competencies can be cultivated. This emerging model underscores physical, psychological, spiritual, and social care elements and paves the way for an expanded curriculum in clinical trainings. Conclusions Drawing on fieldwork insights, an innovative theoretical framework for person-centred medical education is proposed. Implementing the framework in the clinical education curriculum might help practitioners deliver more compassionate and integrated care.</ns4:p>