{"id":194685,"date":"2023-01-31T07:00:59","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=194685"},"modified":"2023-02-01T07:30:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T12:30:38","slug":"respect-at-the-center-of-patient-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2023\/01\/respect-at-the-center-of-patient-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Respect at the Center of Patient Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may seem obvious that respect is a critical component of good health care, but Tamara Cardoso is uniquely qualified to understand it.<\/p>\n

Cardoso is a performance improvement specialist in UConn Health\u2019s Office of Patient Experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cRespect is the foundation of compassionate caregiving, healthy relationship building, and solid teamwork,\u201d Cardoso says. \u201cRespect lives in everything we do as health care professionals. We are humans caring for other humans \u2014 this is a hard, unique, and beautiful responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardoso joined UConn Health as a member of the Epic electronic health record information technology team in 2016. She\u2019s been in patient experience for the last three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best part of my job is that I can build relationships and positively impact how care is delivered here at UConn Health,\u201d she says. \u201cI have a unique position and an insider\u2019s view of patients\u2019 perception of care, what they need, what they want, and what type of care they expect. And it is my job to listen, share and translate so that our leaders, clinicians, and employees can take meaningful action to elevate the human experience – for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardoso\u2019s responsibilities include the role of patient survey administrator, reporting survey data to leadership, providing insightful interpretation and helping identify patient-centric standards and practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to continue building a supportive environment built on mutual respect, communication, and teamwork, improving patient safety and quality of care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardoso recalls the importance of respect being instilled on her from her childhood, influenced by her Grandmother, who was born and raised in Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a Southern household, and at an early age, I learned what respect meant and what it looked like,\u201d she says. \u201cFor me, respect is acknowledgment and consideration of another, and it\u2019s about connecting with the individual. Respect allows us to build and preserve relationships with others. This can mean tending to one\u2019s emotions, showing kindness, and demonstrating empathy when someone shows signs of anxiety, discomfort, or even frustration. In health care, demonstrating courtesy and respect enables us to connect as human beings first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardoso says she and her Office of Patient Experience colleagues exemplify respect by following these tenets:<\/p>\n