Commentary: Swedish initiative on person centred care

The Swedish approach to implementing person centred care is being led and evaluated by a dedicated unit established in 2010 at the University of Gothenburg. The unit focuses primarily on people living with long term conditions. It is funded by the Swedish government (€10m; £8m; $12m) as part of a broad initiative to stimulate research at Swedish universities. The centre conducts research, develops and distributes educational resources such as courses for health professionals and students , and facilitates implementation of person centred care programmes in local hospitals and primary care centres by providing guidance on reshaping services and ongoing support. Feedback from managerial and clinical staff suggests that reinforcing shared decision making between patients and clinicians increases professional satisfaction.1 From the outset patient representatives have …