During our recent visit to Peru, we conducted a study on patient-centred care using Q methodology and shared about the applications of this method. Patient-centered care is an essential approach to improve healthcare quality, as it focuses on delivering care that meet patients’ preferences, values, and needs. In regions like Latin America, where healthcare access and social inequalities continue to pose significant challenges, research on PCC remains limited. Particularly in Peru, legislative initiatives related to PCC are scarce and it is not yet explicitly integrated into healthcare practices within the Peruvian healthcare system.
"In this regard, for my last PhD project we aimed at exploring patients and health care professionals’ views on PCC in Peru to provide insights for policies better aligned to improving healthcare outcomes. For this purpose, we conducted a Q-methodology study to systematically capture and analyse these perspectives on what is important for PCC,” shared Karen Trujillo.
Together with Job van Exel, Director of Research and Vice Dean at the Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, and Peruvian researchers, we conducted fieldwork in Lima, Peru, collecting data from 37 participants, including patients from different associations and healthcare professionals—such as oncologists, endocrinologists, and nurses—across different hospitals. This process enriched our study and provided a broader understanding of which domains of patient-centred care (PCC) were most important to respondents. For instance, both patients and healthcare professionals emphasized access to care—particularly the availability of essential medications, equipment, and treatment supplies—as a crucial aspect of PCC.
We are currently in the process of analyzing the data and look forward to sharing our findings to inform more patient-responsive healthcare policies and practices in Peru.
Secondly, Job van Exel lead a session on the fundamentals of Q-Methodology and applications in health, care and well-being, for professionals from the Health Technology Assessment Center (CETS) of the National Institute of Health in Peru. The session was well received by participants, who expressed strong interest in the method’s potential for future use in healthcare evaluation and decision-making. Finally, I briefly shared the studies conducted during my PhD, focusing on applications of preference elicitation methods such as Participatory Value Evaluation, Contingent Valuation and Q-methodology in health.
- Professor
- PhD student
