Types of centredness in health care: themes and concepts.
BACKGROUND
For a variety of sociological reasons, different types of centredness have become important in health and social care. In trying to characterize one type of centredness, we were led to consider, at a conceptual level, the importance of the notion of centredness in general and the reasons for there being different types of centeredness.


METHODS
We searched the literature for papers on client-, family-, patient-, person- and relationship- centred care. We identified reviews or papers that defined or discussed the notions at a conceptual level. The reviews and papers were analyzed as text transcripts.


RESULTS
We identified 10 themes that were common to all the types of centredness. At a conceptual level we could not identify thematic differences between the types of centredness. These findings were subjected to a philosophical critique using ideas derived from Wittgenstein.


CONCLUSIONS
Different types of centredness are required in different contexts. The differences are justified by their practical utility. The unifying themes of centredness, however, reflect a movement in favour of increasing the social, psychological, cultural and ethical sensitivity of our human encounters.
Hughes
Julian C
JC
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. j.c.hughes@ncl.ac.uk
Bamford
Claire
C
May
Carl
C
D017028:Caregivers; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012922:Social Change; D012962:Sociology, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*