The Patient Voices Network is open to anyone in British Columbia. Each of you has a unique experience with BC’s health care system. Engagement opportunities give you the chance to share that experience in important conversations about care.
When patient and health care partners work together, the results speak for themselves:
- Improved patient safety
- Better health outcomes
- Reduced health care costs
- Better decision-making1
It leads to better experiences for patients, family members and care providers. Together, patient and health care partners know best how to improve health care.
PVN patient partners:
- Share their experiences
- Provide feedback on plans
- Support improvement efforts
- Work to have health care reflect what matters to them
Who are Patient Partners?
Patient partners are people who live in British Columbia that are passionate about health care and who want to share their experiences to improve health services for everyone. They are patients, family members and caregivers who:
- Have been involved with BC health care
- Come from all parts of BC
- Represent all ages, ethnicities, genders and professional backgrounds
Why are they called patient partners?
PVN patient partners believe the term “patient partners” best represents the role they play in health care improvement work. They want to work alongside health care teams as partners in work that impacts them.
What do patient partners do?
They share their energy, ideas and experiences to ensure health care reflects what matters to them, often contributing to important conversations and decisions.
Why Join PVN?
We connect you with health care teams who want to learn from your experiences. Along the way, you will:
- Build your skills through engagement opportunities and skill-building webinars
- Boost your health care improvement knowledge and readiness to contribute
- Make a difference for future patients’ health care needs and experiences
You decide when you’re ready to get involved by:
- Submitting an RSVP to an engagement opportunity you’re interested in
- Deciding how much time you can dedicate
- Being involved in learning that supports your interests
If you seek to address a specific gap or concern that you have witnessed or experienced in the health care system, please contact the Patient Care Quality Office in your health region.
References
1 Bombard, Y., Baker, G.R., Orlando, E. et al. Engaging patients to improve quality of care: a systematic review. Implementation Sci 13, 98 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-018-0784-z
