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Call for papers - Delivering better health services through patient-centered care

Guest Editors

Rendelle E. Bolton, PhD, Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, USA
Pavani Rangachari, PhD, CPH, University of New Haven, USA

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 28 March 2025


BMC Health Services Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on Delivering better health services through patient-centered care. In the evolving landscape of healthcare, the shift towards patient-centered care emphasizes a holistic approach to improve outcomes and satisfaction by considering all aspects of patients' lives. This collection invites research and reviews on the impact of patient-centered care on quality of care, including implementation in various settings, the role of technology and telehealth, holistic approaches to well-being, specialized fields such as complex and long-term care, and healthcare professionals' perspectives. Other areas of interest are the performance and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered initiatives, coordination strategies, overcoming barriers, policy implications, and system-wide transformations. By prioritizing patient needs and preferences, this collection aims to highlight how patient-centered care can elevate healthcare quality, optimize resources, and improve overall health outcomes.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Rendelle E. Bolton, PhD, Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, USA

Dr Rendelle Bolton holds a PhD in health policy, and has a multidisciplinary background in public health, social work, and psychology. Dr Bolton is a health services researcher in the US Veterans Health Administration, where she has applied her expertise to study person-centered health system transformations. Dr Bolton's research aims to optimize the coordination and delivery of whole person approaches to ensure that patients’ priorities remain central even when care is shared across clinicians and settings. She has served on the editorial board of BMC Health Services Research since 2023.

Pavani Rangachari, PhD, CPH, University of New Haven, USA

Dr Rangachari currently serves as Professor of Healthcare Administration and Public Health at the University of New Haven, USA. Her areas of expertise include 1) the implementation of change & innovation in healthcare organizations (e.g., implementation of evidence-based practices, health information technology, and patient-centered care), and 2) health disparities research. Dr Rangachari is a recipient of independent research grants from the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and has published numerous primary-authored articles in the fields of healthcare management, leadership, health informatics, and public health. 

About the Collection

BMC Health Services Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on Delivering better health services through patient-centered care.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, the shift towards a more patient-centered approach is driven by a multifaceted understanding that extends beyond traditional models. The imperative to consider the whole person in healthcare delivery arises not only from a desire to enhance treatment outcomes and improve patient satisfaction but also from the recognition that health and well-being encompass all aspects of patients’ lives beyond the absence of illness. This paradigm shift acknowledges the potential for decreased costs and more efficient use of resources through a focus on preventive measures and coordinated care, personalized treatment plans, social care, and a collaborative partnership between healthcare providers and patients. By prioritizing patient needs and preferences, the healthcare system aims to elevate the quality of care while optimizing resource utilization, ultimately improving health and well-being outcomes and fostering increased satisfaction among both patients and healthcare providers and staff.

This Collection invites original research articles, systematic and scoping reviews as well as study protocols that explore and highlight the transformative impact of patient-centered care on quality of care. We are particularly interested in the following research areas: 

•    Reporting about patient-centered care in a variety of healthcare settings and patient populations
•    Exploring cutting-edge technologies and telehealth platforms that empower patients in decision-making, including medical homes, virtual consultations, remote monitoring
•    Investigating the impact of a holistic approach addressing patients' physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being
•    Patient-centered and whole person care in specialized fields, particularly complex care, long term care
•    The role and perspectives of healthcare professionals in patient-centered and whole person care
•    Assessing the performance of patient-centered and whole person care initiatives, including cost-effectiveness
•    Approaches to coordinating patient-centered and whole person care to ensure that patients’ preferences and priorities are shared across care teams and settings
•    Strategies and solutions for overcoming organizational and cultural barriers in patient-centered and whole person care
•    Policy implications and advocacy for patient-centered and whole person care
•    Large-scale system transformations to improve patient-centered and whole person care


Image credit: © Yingyaipumi / stock.adobe.com

  1. Diabetes is the most prevalent metabolic disease globally. Correct and effective healthcare management requires up-to-date and accurate information at the local level. This level of information allows managers...

    Authors: Ali Kazemiathar, Hosein Azizi, Parvin Bastani, Fariba Abbasi, Elham Davtalab Esmaeili, Sheida Ghorbani and Shahriyar Ghanbarzadeh Javid
    Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2024 24:1086
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Although pharmaceutical care has tangible positive importance in ensuring patient pharmacotherapy safety, its provision encounters several barriers. Therefore, this study investigated the obstacles pharmacy pr...

    Authors: Mekdes Kiflu, Sintayehu Simie Tsega, Helen Abebaw Alem, Abebaw Abie Gedif, Melese Getachew, Fisseha Nigussie Dagnew, Aysheshim Belaineh Haimanot, Endalamaw Aschale Mihiretie and Tilaye Arega Moges
    Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2024 24:1082
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Stroke patients often experience limb dysfunction, which can significantly impact their quality of life and daily living abilities. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of nursing programs that incorp...

    Authors: Yuan Deng, Yufei Sang, Yunfeng Shang, Chao Wu and Xiaofeng Xu
    Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2024 24:1051
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Over the last decade attention has grown to give patients and next of kin (P/N) more substantial roles in adverse event investigations. Adverse event investigations occur after adverse events that resulted in ...

    Authors: Rachel I. Dijkstra-Eijkemans, Linda J. Knap, Nieke A. Elbers, Roland D. Friele and Antony Pemberton
    Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2024 24:1044
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Delivering better health services through patient-centered care" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.