Practice-Level Drivers of Person-Centred Care: Insights from the PaRIS Primary Care Survey

Background: The OECD Patient-Reported Indicator Surveys (PaRIS) initiative was established to advance person-centred care by measuring the experiences and outcomes of individuals living with chronic conditions. Through the collection of standardized patient-reported data alongside provider and practice-level information, PaRIS offers valuable insight into how primary care is organized, coordinated, and aligned with patients’ needs and priorities. However, limited research has examined the relationship between primary care practice characteristics and patient-reported person-centred care.

 

Approach: Surveys were administered to both providers (nurse practitioners and general practitioners) and patients within surveyed practices. To measure patient-centred care, the patient survey included the person-centred coordinated care experience questionnaire (P3CEQ). The scale is composed of eight questions to measure the extent to which a person’s health needs are managed holistically, ensuring their preferences and needs are central to the care received. Practice level factors were assessed through the provider survey and included practice type, location, consultation time, payment model, medical record availability, involvement of patient care plans, and professional background of provider.

 

Univariate analyses were used to identify practice level variables that were significantly associated with patient reported person-centred care. A random effects multivariate ordinal logistic regression model was conducted using person centredness as the outcome and significant practice-level indicators predictors (p <0.15) from the univariate analysis.

 

Results: A total of 867 respondents representing 16 primary care practices completed the survey. The majority of the patients were Caucasian (95%); identified as women (64%); born in Canada (85%); and aged 55-64 (35%). Based on the responses to the eight P3CEQ questions, respondents received a summative score of person-centredness out of a possible 24 points. The person-centredness scores ranged from 2 to 24 (M = 16.45, SD = 4.51), with a median of 17, indicating generally high levels of perceived person-centredness among participants. Mean scores across the eight person-centredness items (scored 0–3) ranged from 1.5 to 2.5, indicating that participants reported the lowest levels of person-centredness on individual confidence in managing health and well-being and the highest on involvement in decisions about their care.

 

Implications: Findings from the Ontario results of the OECD PaRIS survey highlight the tangible benefits of embedding person-centredness at the core of primary care delivery. These results suggest that simple but meaningful practices, such as providing sufficient time during consultations and communicating clearly, can substantially enhance patients’ perceptions of care. Strengthening these relational and communication aspects of primary care should therefore be seen as a key strategy for improving both patient experience and overall health system performance.