Using the Johari Window to explore patient and provider perspectives

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the “Johari Window” as a tool to illustrate how providers and patients differ in their understanding of healthcare quality.

The four quadrants of the Johari Window depict information known by both parties, by providers only, by patients only and by neither party.

By understanding these differing perceptions, clinicians and planners can improve the patient’s experience of service delivery.

There has been no formal evaluation of this tool’s performance. It is presented as a heuristic teaching model to stimulate inquiry and discussion.

The author has used the Johari Window in various cultural contexts, where its clarity and simplicity help introduce a potentially sensitive subject. Because it has face validity as an easy-to-understand tool, it can be used with students and junior care providers as well as non-clinician governors.