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Celebrate International “What Matters to You?” Day With Us!

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Categories: Patient Voice Mail, What Matters to You

Today is International “What Matters to You?” Day!

“What matters to you?” is a simple question that can have a big impact on quality of care. When providers have conversations about what really matters to patients, caregivers and families, they build meaningful relationships and advance person- and family-centred care.

On the ninth annual International “What Matters to You?” Day on June 9, the province of British Columbia has once again issued a proclamation recognizing the importance of this person- and family-centred approach to care. 

Join the Celebrations!

Spread the word about “What Matters to You?” using our media kit! Plus, we’re running a contest on Twitter until June 9 – tweet at @BCPSQC with a photo of you holding this poster for a chance to win a “What Matters to You?” t-shirt and other prizes.

Celebrating at the BC Children’s Hospital.

What Matters to Indigenous Patient Partners

In celebration of International “What Matters to You?” Day last year, we hosted an event which asked Indigenous patient partners what mattered to them when participating in culturally safe patient engagement opportunities. Following the event we created two resources which support health care partners to put cultural safety and humility into practice when engaging with Indigenous Peoples. Download the resources.

Download Resources

We’ve created a number of resources to help you spread the word about “What Matters to You?” in your workplace, school or community! We’ve got posters, graphics, videos and more that make it easy.

Humanizing Health Care, One Question at a Time

Asking “What Matters to You?” in Diabetes Care

Learning About Patients’ Values

Christy Boyce, a Virtual Health Learning Consultant supported the design of new, virtual Diabetes Self-Management classes at Fraser Health. She had the transformative experience of holding patient focus groups to understand the patient experience of these classes. She slowed down to ask, “What matters to you the most when you come to a health care education session?”

Asking Patient Partners What Matters to Them

Two patient partners shared their experiences when they were asked, “What matters to you?” Cyndi Peal and Herman White from Bella Bella shared that being asked the question made them feel less stressed and more welcome. Michel White from Abbotsford reflects on how she often flips the question by asking her health care providers what matters to them!

Left: Herman White and Cyndi Peal. Right: Michel White.

Why Asking “What Matters to You?” MattersA Blog Post from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Institute for Healthcare Improvement President and CEO Kedar Mate recently wrote a compelling blog post on how he went from a “What Matters to You?” sceptic to full-blown advocate.

“In other words, asking what matters — making a patient feel part of the process and prioritizing their thoughts, needs, and concerns — is part of the healing process.”

We welcome you to join our annual celebration of “What Matters to You?” Day on June 9. Use the #WMTY hashtag on social media to join the conversation and find more resources and information here.

From Our Community

Pamela Jessen

Patient Partner, Langford

Pamela Jessen

The Patient Voices Network allows me to engage and educate others on various health-related topics. By sitting on various committees and taking part in many activities, I can create real change in health care for everyone. It’s so empowering!