It is important to actively involve patients in their care during hospitalization so that the care aligns better with their individual needs. This improves the quality of care and ensures its sustainability in the future. Unfortunately, there were few tools available for nurses to engage patients in their care. In a study, the ‘Tell-us Card' intervention was developed and tested to assist nurses in this process. Although patients were satisfied with this intervention, nurses struggled to effectively implement it and many found it not feasible in practice. Subsequent research revealed that nurses overestimated their level of person-centered care compared to their patients' experiences, and that a more task-oriented approach hindered person-centered care. Therefore, a hospital-wide approach is necessary to involve patients and their families, and a guide has been developed for managers to work on this. There is still much to be gained in the field of person-centered care, so investments are essential.
Elise van Belle (1987) obtained her Bachelor's degree in Nursing in 2011 in Nijmegen, and her Master's degree in Clinical Health Sciences at Utrecht University in 2015. In 2016, she began her doctoral research on patient participation at IQ healthcare of Radboudumc, which she conducted alongside her work as a nurse. Currently, she works as a researcher at the department of Nursing Science at UMC Utrecht.