Interprofessional practice and person-centred care: moral contexts and ethical conflicts in the US and Canada

Abstract

Health and social care services and systems increasingly promote both interprofessional practice and person-centred care. This discussion first examines the clinical and community-based contexts for providing interprofessional practice and person-centred care through the lens of personal, interpersonal, interprofessional and organisational values. Emerging conflicts among values are highlighted using the concept of moral distress, with examples from US and Canadian settings. The comparison then moves to the systems level, examining different US and Canadian contexts for improving the quality and reducing the cost of care. Finally, implications and applications are presented, focusing on interrelationships among the individual, interprofessional team and organisation.