Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Effectively administering person-centred care (PCC) in primary healthcare hinges on healthcare providers and their work environment embodying, endorsing and actively engaging in PCC principles. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the extent to which person-centred practice is implemented among healthcare providers, the working environment and organisational support. DESIGN: This mixed-method cross-sectional study was conducted through a translated and validated questionnaire comprising 59 items covering three distinct domains: attributes of healthcare providers (prerequisites), the context in which care is delivered (care environment) and the extent of providing care (care processes). Associations between regions, job categories, clinic type and service year duration with the PCC practice level were analysed and stratified according to the 17 constructs. All comments from the free-text responses were thematically analysed. SETTING: Public primary healthcare clinics within the Malaysian central zone regions of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3800 primary healthcare providers, including family medicine specialists, medical officers, medical assistants, pharmacists, pharmacist assistants, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and dietitians. RESULTS: 'Developed interpersonal skills' (mean: 5.77, SD: 0.819), 'being committed to the job' (mean: 5.48, SD: 0.892) and 'knowing self' (mean: 5.44, SD: 0.990) were among the constructs with the highest scores. Meanwhile, 'supportive organisational system' (mean: 4.62, SD: 1.188) and 'clarity of beliefs and values' (mean: 4.84, SD: 0.953) had lower mean scores, suggesting areas for improvement in teamwork and organisational support. The findings also underscored significant disparities in scoring, potentially stemming from differences in work cultures and hierarchical dynamics, particularly regarding shared decision-making and inclusivity among seniority levels. CONCLUSION: Recognising the impact of seniority, workload and diverse work cultures among different job categories, leveraging each other's strengths can catalyse successful PCC implementations. The pursuit of instilling and implementing PCC practices calls for a comprehensive organisational transformation, emphasising the need for sustained efforts to enhance support structures and facilitate shared decision-making within healthcare organisations.