Comparing patients’ perspectives of “good care” in Dutch outpatient psychiatric services with academic perspectives of patient-centred care

Background: Over the past six decades, the concept of patient-centred care (PCC) has been discussed in health research, policy and practice. However, research on PCC from a patients’ perspective is sparse and particularly absent in outpatient psychiatric services. Aim: to gain insight into what patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD consider “good care” and what this implies for the conceptualisation of PCC. Method: A literature review on the different conceptualisations of PCC was complemented with qualitative explorative research on the experiences and needs of adults with ADHD and with bipolar disorder with mental healthcare in the Netherlands using focus group discussions and interviews. Results: The elements addressed in literature are clustered into four dimensions: “patient”, “health professional”, “patient–professional interaction” and “healthcare organisation”. What is considered “good care” by patients coincided with the four dimensions of PCC found in literature and provided refinement of, and preferred emphasis within, the dimensions of PCC. Conclusions: This study shows the value of including patients’ perspectives in the conceptualisation of PCC, adding elements, such as “professionals listen without judgment”, “professionals (re)act on the fluctuating course of the disorder and changing needs of patients” and “patients are seen as persons with positive sides and strengths”.