VALUES-BASED PRACTICE
might refer to holistic care, compassionate care3 or person-centred care4
, . In all of these statements
we are putting the patient at the centre and giving consideration to their thoughts, feelings and ideals. Rather than treating the patient as just another patient to be treated or another x-ray examination5
, we are
treating the patient as an individual and reducing the objectification of the patient. Following the Francis report6
there has been an
increased focus on care and compassion within health and social care. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) Code of Professional Conduct7
requires radiographers
to provide the best compassionate care based on the most up to date evidence. Campaigns such as ‘Hello my name is’8
, have served to refocus the attention of
healthcare professionals to the needs of the patient. A simple introduction means more than just its face value; it provides the patient with a friendly welcome to the examination and an opening up of communication between the healthcare professional and the patient. ‘In my mind #hellomynameis is the first rung on the ladder to providing truly person-centred, compassionate care’8
.
Over the past three years there has been a greater emphasis placed on the NHS core values; respect and dignity, commitment to the quality of care, compassion, improving lives, working together for patients and everyone counts9
compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment10
, and the six Cs in nursing; care, . This has resulted in values-based
recruitment being used to recruit students and staff into all healthcare careers. Values based recruitment is an approach which attracts and recruits students, trainees and employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with the values of the NHS Constitution. This should now be part of all recruitment processes which assess aptitude and skills for healthcare courses and for healthcare jobs11
. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF VALUES-BASED
PRACTICE? Raised awareness of values is essential to contemporary person-centred care. Sustainable implementation of values-based practice depends on a whole system approach. Values-based practice works alongside evidence-based practice. Values-based practice supports healthcare professionals in shared evidence-based decision-making with their patients based on dialogue about values2
.
CASE EXAMPLE: MRS JONES’ KNEE Mrs Jones (not her real name) was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon with a painful arthritic knee. The best option with this condition, the surgeon explained, was knee replacement. There were risks of course as with any operation but with a prosthetic knee joint she would very likely end up pain-free. Mrs Jones thanked the surgeon saying ‘I’m so pleased, doctor, I’ll be able to garden again’. ‘Well, tell me a bit more about that’ the surgeon replied. ‘You see’, Mrs Jones explained, ‘it’s not the pain I’m worried about. It’s the fact I can’t bend down well enough to do my gardening.’ The surgeon explained that with the prosthetic joints currently available she would be no more mobile, and possibly less so, post-op. After a brief further discussion Mrs Jones opted for conservative management. Most people with painful arthritic knees want to get rid of the pain. It was natural therefore that the surgeon should assume
12 JUNE 2017
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