7 minutes to read
Have you ever heard about humanized service? This theme goes hand in hand with advances in medicine. Every day, scientists around the world discover new techniques, information and details that help save millions of lives every year. However, this is not the only area where we are always evolving.
In addition to modern and technological strategies to treat diseases more and more effectively, medicine (and the health area as a whole) also evolves in terms of humanization. Empathy, respect, affection and care are just a few keywords in this context.
That alone gives you an idea of what humanized care is, right? But of course that’s not all! Keep reading and check out more details about this key strategy for 21st century health.
What is humanized care?
It is a trend that uses criteria such as empathy and open communication between doctor and patient to function as the basis of healthcare services.
Thus, the patient is treated as an individual, and not as an “object of study” or a symptom that needs to be unveiled and treated.
How did humanized care come about?
For many years, Medicine was a science practiced on the basis of empiricism. That is: the techniques used were almost always tested on the patients themselves and, from there, results were observed.
This was a very important period for the medical field, but also a very painful one for patients. However, there was no knowledge or resources necessary for it to be different back then.
Over the centuries, science advanced and other methods began to be used to test hypotheses. Issues such as pain and discomfort were minimized or stopped with the discovery of anesthesia and care, in general, improved a lot.
But it wasn’t enough. Something was still missing: human warmth. Much is said about love in areas such as Medicine, Nursing or Dentistry. But, for many centuries, things were not quite like that.
In those times, the focus was on treating the symptom or disease rather than the patient. With humanized care, there is a revolution in this type of thinking and the focus becomes the individual who is presenting the symptoms.
Thus, you are no longer seen as a headache, for example, but as someone with a personality, a life and issues that may or may not be influencing the occurrence of this symptom. In this way, your entire existence is taken into account, with a friendlier approach, but still fully professional and qualified.
What are the characteristics of humanized care?
Humanized care is a serious matter and, therefore, has well-established guidelines for its operation. They are based on pillars that translate well their meaning. Check out what they are below!
professional ethics
One of the main pillars of humanized care is professional ethics. Here, the entire team is not only highly qualified, but also takes very seriously the lessons learned and the oaths taken throughout graduation and the act of obtaining the diploma.
individualized treatment
No person is a recipe for cake. Therefore, it is important that the treatment, even if it follows guidelines, is individualized for the personal needs of each patient. In humanized care, adaptations, concessions and additions are common in routine.
respect for differences
Each person is a world and humanized professionals know that. Another focus of this type of approach is not only to respect differences and diversity, but also to understand a little about them and know how to resolve doubts without being offensive or invasive. The humanized health professional is empathetic and is always willing to learn.
Understanding the patient’s suffering
Finally, another pillar is the understanding of the patient’s suffering and pain, as well as that of his family. Again, empathy is the watchword, guiding relationships and interactions throughout.
What does lack of humanization in care mean?
The lack of humanization in care is guided by the absence of the pillars mentioned above. Thus, it occurs when the patient is not seen as a whole, but only as a “problem that must be solved”.
Some of the features of this type of service are:
- lack of empathy;
- absence of clear explanations about the symptoms, disease or the treatment instituted;
- little patience;
- lack of space for the patient to express himself and expose his doubts and fears;
- service too fast;
- distanced service, without eye contact or more open conversation.
If you went through one of these situations or even left the office with the feeling that you were not really welcomed, it is likely that you were part of a non-humanized service.
Why seek humanized care?
Now that you know what to expect and what not to expect from humanized care, it is important to understand the reasons that make this type of strategy so important for your health. Check out!
Building a relationship of trust
One of the highlights when it comes to the importance of humanized care is, without a doubt, the possibility of building a relationship of trust between the medical team and the patient. Thus, the exchanges are truer and everyone wins!
clarified doubts
Leaving the office full of doubts is something very common in non-humanized care. When the dialogue is well developed and there is time to absorb past information, most questions are resolved during the consultation, improving patient adherence to treatment.
personalized treatment
When the patient is evaluated as a whole, he has access to a personalized treatment according to his needs. Thus, your lifestyle, habits, preferences and even ideological issues are taken into account when defining the best strategy to treat present health problems.
Better treatment results
It is not always possible to predict the results of a treatment, but one thing is certain: it is much more likely to work when both parties are sincere with each other and are really engaged in that purpose. With the construction of a partnership relationship between the patient and the team, the chances of everything working out increase!
Increased prevention rates
Humanization is also a great request for areas such as Preventive Medicine and Primary Health Care. Feeling safe and comfortable makes the patient seek the service more often, paying more attention to their health and the symptoms they present, in addition to periodic follow-up.
Did you like to know more about humanized care? Now, be sure to prioritize this type of interaction whenever you are looking for a health service. And, of course, know that these are the values followed here at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein!
If you want to understand better about the subject or simply need to ask a question, do not hesitate to contact us! Our team is always on hand to help you with whatever you need.
Technical review: Marcelo Costa Batista, researcher at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and associate professor of nephrology at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
Source: vidasaudavel.einstein.br
