AEI believes there is a need for a paradigm shift in medical care, which places the patient at the forefront of care, especially for adolescent girls living with HIV into adulthood. Rooted in the principles of human-centered design, this approach described below is transformative, steering away from traditional clinical and top-down interventions towards a model that prioritizes the needs, preferences, and lived experiences of those affected by the epidemic. Fostering patient-centered care is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for achieving sustained impact. Four strategies are recommended below to foster patient-centered care and address HIV/AIDS among adolescent girls, drawing from the experience of our experts in Ghana:
Understanding the Patient Experience
Patient-centered care requires a deep understanding of the lived experiences, challenges, and aspirations of those receiving care. Human-centered design (examples include interviews, journey mapping, and co-design sessions) helps embed providers in the lived reality of patients with HIV. Invaluable insights are gained into the barriers faced – stigma, access to treatment, or socio-economic constraints – leading to tailored interventions that resonate with their needs and realities.
Co-Creating Solutions with Patients
Empowering patients as active participants in the design and delivery of care is pivotal for fostering ownership, empowerment, and trust. Through collaborative workshops, focus groups, and participatory design sessions, adolescent girls living with HIV in Ghana lend their voices to shaping interventions that are culturally sensitive but also responsive to their unique contexts and preferences. By co-creating solutions alongside patients, providers maximize the potential for efficacy and uptake of services and treatment.
Redefining Care Delivery Models
Human-centered design challenges us to transcend conventional care delivery models and embrace approaches that prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, and dignity. Whether through mobile health clinics, community-based support groups, or digital health platforms, patient-centered care endeavors to meet patients where they are – both geographically and emotionally. As a result, we foster a sense of agency, autonomy, and belonging, thereby dismantling barriers to care and promoting holistic well-being.
Cultivating Continuous Learning
Central to human-centered design is a commitment to iterative learning and adaptation based on real-time feedback and insights. By establishing feedback loops between clients and providers, collaborative monitoring mechanisms, and quality improvement processes that ask for client feedback, we ensure that patient-centered care remains responsive, relevant, and effective in addressing evolving needs and challenges. This ensures that we foster a sense of partnership, transparency, and accountability.
Authors
Authors have worked together in Ghana: Leah Ratner is a consultant, physician & global health researcher who applies her dual training in internal medicine & pediatrics to tackle NCDs & health inequities. Charles Martyn-Dickens is an HIV specialist pediatrician at Komfo Anoke Teaching Hospital. Sheila Agyeiwaa Owusu is a pediatrician & lecturer at the University for Development Studies & Tamale Teaching Hospital. She is a PhD candidate at LSTMH with interests in infectious disease & climate impact on child health.
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