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Because your voice matters.

Member, Clothing as Therapy Initiative

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Open to Vancouver Island Region, Patient partners from Comox Valley and area

Last updated

Are you more comfortable in your clothes or a hospital gown? We would like to invite our patients, where appropriate, to wear their own clothes to improve their well being, and we would like your input!

Open to: Patient partners from Comox Valley and area

Lead Organization or Department

Island Health, Medical Ward at North Island Hospital, Comox Valley Campus

Aim

We are interested in understanding whether wearing one’s own clothing helps maintain dignity, improves well-being, enhances the feelings of the "road to recovery," and helps patients to return home sooner. We are doing a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA improvement cycle) around this and need your help! The role of the patient partner will be to provide input to our project and help with our goal of patient-centered care.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility

  • Be willing to add the patient lens to this project.
  • Ability to attend meetings to provide a voice for patients.
  • Ideally know the experience of wearing a hospital gown.

Logistics

Number of vacancies: 2 Location: North Island Hospital, Comox Valley Campus Date, Time and Frequency: Meetings will begin in mid-July based on availability Initiative Format: Working group/ Committees Connection Method: In-Person ideally, teleconference available when necessary Commitment: One week to six months

Reimbursement

Mileage and parking will be reimbursed according to Island Health expense policy.

Background

Though hospital clothing has a place, we know that wearing it can be associated with feelings of illness and dependency, and might not be needed in every situation. Through this improvement study, we are trying to learn the benefits to wearing one’s own clothing. These benefits could include:
  • Honouring your right to dignity
  • Improving your sense of wellness and speed of recovery
  • Regaining your independence and reducing your chance of falls, losing strength and similar risks

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Ryan Sidorchuk
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Central & North Vancouver Island
250.951.4850
rsidorchuk@bcpsqc.ca

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