Person-Centered Care

“Together for a Healthy Tomorrow with Trust”

What Is the Planetree Person-Centered Care Certification?

Planetree is an organization founded in 1978 in the United States by a patient who had a difficult and negative hospital experience. It operates on a voluntary basis and works on how healthcare institutions can become more healing environments for patients.

It represents an approach that views the individual not only as a "patient" but as a person with unique experiences, values, preferences, and expectations, placing them at the center of healthcare services.

Planetree Person-Centered Care Gold Certification

What Is Person-Centered Care?

Person-Centered Care is a care model based on the philosophy that patients and their families should receive the highest quality care at the right time, in a manner that is sensitive and respectful to their:
• Preferences,
• Needs,
• Values.
It ensures that patients remain at the center of care and have the right to understand and participate in their care process.

Principles of Person-Centered Care

The practice of Person-Centered Care is guided by four key principles:

Our Values Within the Framework of Person-Centered Care

Our Priority Is Patient Safety: Ensuring the safety of our patients in the healthcare services we provide is our top priority. All our staff take necessary safety measures while continuing patients’ treatment and care.

Person-Centered Care: We provide care based on respect for patients’ and families’ values, choices, beliefs, cultural background, reactions to their current health condition, and family dynamics. We believe patients have the right to receive high-quality, accurate care at the right time, in accordance with this philosophy.

Safety: We ensure that our workplace environment maintains healthy and safe conditions for our patients, staff, and visitors.

Confidentiality: We protect the privacy and confidentiality of patient information.

Integrity: We provide healthcare services in accordance with the principle of honesty, acting ethically in all professional relationships and ensuring transparency.

Impartiality: We offer equal healthcare services without discrimination based on language, religion, race, gender, philosophical belief, or political opinion, and we stand against prejudice and stereotypical behavior.

Effective Crisis Management: We ensure that feedback and ethical disagreements are addressed effectively and promptly.

Expertise and Advanced Technology: We support professional expertise while safeguarding knowledge. By following scientific data and technological advancements, we continuously adapt innovations to our practices.

Process Performance Management: We maintain transparency in performance indicators related to medical and administrative processes. We enhance efficiency by reducing variations in healthcare access and medical outcomes, thus preventing waste.

Risk Management: We identify and take preventive actions against medical and administrative risks.

Person-Centered Care Practices at Our Hospital

At Güven Healthcare Group, we have redefined our understanding of “Person-Centered Care” and, within this approach, implemented various initiatives under both “patient-focused” and “staff-support” programs. We have redefined our partnerships with patients and staff alike.

Our Patients Are Part of Our Management and Decision-Making Processes

Beyond listening to our patients, we position them as our advisors and progress toward becoming a “patient-partnered hospital.” In this context, we have established the Patient and Family Advisory Council, which actively convenes and contributes to our initiatives.

We consult this council to incorporate the perspectives, experiences, and improvement opportunities identified by patients and families into our improvement efforts, decisions, and planning across all service areas. These improvement efforts may involve physical environment renovations or process redesigns. In other words, we work together with our patients on these projects.

Shared Decision-Making Process

Shared decision-making refers to a process where physicians/healthcare professionals and patients work together to test, diagnose, and determine the best treatment path.
The goal is to make better decisions for patients based on scientific evidence, optimize physicians’ time, and ensure efficient resource utilization for healthcare institutions.

We Incorporate Patient Preferences When Planning Care

As Güven Healthcare Group, we prioritize maintaining our patients’ daily routines—such as sleep habits, meal times, dietary preferences, and cultural choices—both in the hospital and at our Medical Center, provided there are no medical contraindications.

Patient-Preferred 24/7 Visiting

If there are no medical restrictions, patients may receive visitors 24/7. Apart from medical limitations, only patients may decide on visitation restrictions.

Care Partnership Program

Within our Person-Centered Care approach, we value ensuring the continuity of patient care after discharge. We know that family members are the primary caregivers who assist patients most at home. Therefore, during hospitalization, we guide and train family members on how to provide care so that patients’ needs can be better met after returning home.

Open Notes / Shared Records

We believe that transparency is essential in healthcare. For this reason, all patient records are shared with patients and their authorized relatives. One of our goals in implementing the Open Notes practice is to keep our patients well-informed. We know that well-informed patients take a more active role in managing their health. Accordingly, medical information is explained to patients clearly and comprehensively by the relevant healthcare professional.

Life-Enriching Activities

We understand that spending long periods in the hospital can be challenging and monotonous for patients and their families. Therefore, we occasionally organize live music performances in our clinics.

Person-Centered Care Informative Video (Turkish)

Person-Centered Care Informative Video - English

Person-Centered Care Informative Video - French

Would You Like to Join the Patient and Family Advisory Council?

What Is the Patient and Family Advisory Council?

The Patient and Family Advisory Council is a structure composed of volunteer patients and family members, along with qualified hospital staff; it is one of the ways we establish partnerships with patients, families, and caregivers.

In this council, volunteer patients and family members collaborate with staff (clinical, administrative, and support) to provide guidance on how to improve the patient experience. The council meets monthly to discuss patient, family, and Person-Centered Care practices.

How Does the Patient and Family Council Work, and What Can Family Members Do?

Patients and families are often the most knowledgeable members of the care team and can offer valuable feedback from different perspectives regarding the care they receive. Therefore, volunteer advisors consisting of patients and family members play a key role in improving the quality of the healthcare experience.

At Güven Hospital, monthly 1–2 hour lunchtime meetings are held with volunteer patients and family members who have received or continue to receive healthcare services.

Volunteer patients and family members, acting with sensitivity to Data Privacy and Patient Confidentiality,

• Share their healthcare experiences with clinical, administrative, and support staff, as well as other advisors.
• Explain what it means to be a patient or family member, guiding us on how to improve the quality and safety of our care and services.
• Provide suggestions on hospital policies, care practices, and patient education materials from the patient/family perspective.
• Participate in working groups or improvement projects to reflect the patient/family perspective in processes.

If you would like to contribute to our institution, help improve care quality for yourself or your loved ones, and share your ideas sincerely, we would be delighted to have you join us.

Please contact the Patient Rights or Person-Centered Care Department for more information.