Person-Focused Health Blog: It’s the holiday season. Like most people you are burning the candle at both ends. There is so much to do and so little time. Yes, you did wisely get a flu shot but still, before you know it you are feeling a bit under the weather. You do your best to take care with over the counter remedies and the very famous bowl of chicken soup. You find that a trip to the doctor is needed any way. If you are fortunate enough, you have a primary care doctor and are able to obtain an appointment when you can actually fit it into your crazy schedule. If not, you may find yourself in an Urgent Care, or even worse the Emergency Department of the nearest hospital…An equally important question that may not always on the mind of the heath care provider is “What matters to you?”. This question shifts the landscape of care from symptom-focused to person-focused…Here’s an example: If “what’s the matter” with a person is an illness requiring a medication that is expensive, and the “what matters” to the person is trying to manage on a reduced income, the plan of care may not align. The question becomes even more important when the illness or injury is chronic or terminal and the variables of care are more complex.

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