Transition towards person-centred care – evaluation of a leadership program
Short description
The purpose of this project is to study the transition towards PCC by describing and evaluating the design and impact of a leadership program. The program is based on person-centred learning and is conducted in collaboration between GPCC and the Swedish Association of Health Professionals [Vårdförbundet].
Further information
The project consists of an exploratory phase (2022-2023) and an evaluative phase (2024-2026). During 2022-2023, we explored how the program was designed, whether it functioned as intended, and how it was received by leaders, as well as how leaders involve staff and patients in the transition towards more person-centred care. We also tested methodological uncertainties and explored prerequisites shaping the design of future studies aimed at evaluating the program's impact on the implementation of person-centred practices among leaders and staff. In 2024, a longitudinal evaluation of the program's impact on person-centred leadership practices began. External funding will be sought for evaluations from the perspectives of staff and patients. In a doctoral project funded by the SHIFT CARE research school, the program's contribution to learning about and applying person-centred leadership is being explored and evaluated. Additionally, we are conducting a Scoping review of evidence on leadership training programs aimed at supporting the implementation of person-centred care.
Scientific articles from the project
Klinga C, Lood Q, Carlström E, Barenfeld E. Developing person-centred leadership practices: Health and social care leaders’ experiences following an educational programme. PloS One 2026;21:e0354356. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354356.
Wising J, Klinga C, Lalloo EC, Carlström E, Barenfeld E. Navigating a learning journey in person-centered leadership: a grounded theory study. BMC Health Services Research 2026;26:759. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-14798-3.
Lood Q, Carlsson Lalloo E, Bergholtz J, Emmelie Barenfeld. Leadership education to support person-centred health and social care: A scoping review of empirical literature. PloS One 2026;21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0350991
Lood Q, Carlström E, Klinga C, Barenfeld E. A collaborative endeavour to integrate leadership and person-centred ethics: a focus group study on experiences from developing and realising an educational programme to support the transition towards person-centred care. BMC health services research. 2024;24(1):395–395. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10793-8
Conference contributions
Barenfeld E, Wising J, Klinga C, Carlsson-Lalloo E, Bergholtz J, Hellström C, Carlström E, Lood Q. How to promote learning on person-centred leadership: Key messages from the Transition towards person-centred care project. Poster presentation at the GCPCC Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 14–16 May 2026.
Wising J, Carlsson Lalloo E, Carlström E, Klinga C, Barenfeld E. Evaluating the Normalization of Person-Centred Practice Following Leadership Education: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study. Oral presentation at the GCPCC Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 14–16 May 2026.
Emmesjö L, Tistad M, Sarajärvi M, Wising J, Larsen T. Exploring the Possibilities and Challenges of Researching Person-Centered Care at the Governance Level: A Panel on Implementation Research. Panel discussion with Jenny Wising as panel participant at the 2nd Global Conference on Person-Centred Care (GCPCC 2026), Gothenburg, Sweden, May 2026
Barenfeld E, Lood Q, Carlström E, Klinga C. A leadership program promoting person-centred practice: Exploring the influence of a strategic innovation. Oral presentation at the World federation of occupational therapists congress (WFOT), Bangkok, February 2026.
Lood Q, Carlström E, Klinga C, Barenfeld E. How can we integrate healthcare leadership and person-centred ethics? Experiences of developing and realising a leadership programme in Sweden. The first Global Conference on Person-Centred Care: Knowledge(s) and Innovations for Health in Changing Societies, Gothenburg,2024.
Klinga C, Lood Q, Carlström E, Hellström C, Severin T, Barenfeld E. Pros and cons of training person-centred leadership in a digital context: experiences of feasibility of a leadership programme. Global Conference on Person-Centred Care: Knowledge(s) and Innovations for Health in Changing Societies, May 2024, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Wising J, Klinga C, Carlsson Lalloo E, Carlström E, Barenfeld E. Evaluation of a leadership-programme based on person-centered principles: experiences of learning processes among participating leaders. Learning about Person-centred care in Higher Education, December 2024, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Researchers
Emmelie Barenfeld, Senior Lecturer, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Jana Bergholtz, Patient-Research Partner, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Ewa Carlsson Lallo, Senior Lecturer, University of Borås
Eric Carlstöm, Professor, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Qarin Lood, Senior Lecturer, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Charlotte Klinga, PhD, Scientific Leader at FOU now/SLSO/Region Stockholm, Karolinska Institutet
Jenny Wising, Doctoral Student, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg