Using Person-centered Care to Accelerate Progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals
September 11th, 2023 | viewpoint
Few would question the connection between person-centered care and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people at all ages. The global health community agrees that effective, equitable health services must include individuals and communities as participants in their own care. After having the opportunity to moderate JSI’s three-part livecast series, I’ve come to realize that person-centered care is not only an important component of SDG 3, but needs to be applied across sectors if we want to reach SDGs by 2030.
The 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opened on September 5. The theme of this year’s assembly is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” To achieve this, we must respect peoples’ needs and preferences, while considering the physical and social environment in which they live and how it influences their ability to make decisions and take action.
Health outcomes are influenced by our health care, social, governmental, economic, and environmental systems—all dimensions of sustainable development. After hearing from our colleagues and partners during the livecast series, it is clear that we must expand our conceptualization and application of person-centered approaches beyond the health system and interactions in doctor’s offices, and look for ways these approaches can help reach all 2030 SDGs.
