Two Great Stories About How Asking a Simple Question Can Improve the Patient Experience

International “What Matters to You?” Day is on June 6, and leading up to the big day we’re highlighting stories and tools that focus on having conversations about what matters. Read more on that below!

My "What Matters to You?" Story: Small Gestures That Make All
the Difference

If you or a loved one have ever needed care, you may have felt the fear of not knowing what was going on and what the treatment would be. And you’ve probably felt relief and comfort if your providers made a point of including you in all care decisions. That’s what our patient partner Kyle Warkentin’s experience was like during his mom’s care journey.

Read Kyle's post.

Asking “What Matters to You?” at Sunny Hill Health Centre

Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children provides development and rehabilitation services for children and families in BC. They saw International “What Matters to You?” Day as a chance to encourage conversations between staff and families. They received over 40 comments on their first day, so we asked Leslie Louie, the centre’s Family Engagement Advisor, to share what they learned.

Read Leslie's post.

Join Us to Hear How Asking "What Matters to You?" Improves Joy at Work
June 6 | 0800 PT | WebEx | Password: WMTY19

Our webinar is taking shape!

On June 6, at 8:00 am, start your day hearing Joan Chaya and Damara Gutnick, from New York’s Montefiore Hudson Valley Collaborative, share how they championed the spread of “What Matters to You?” across a vast provider network in the state. They’ll talk about the relationship between “What Matters to You?” and joy at work, and how asking the question affects the patient experience.

Learn more about the webinar’s speakers and save the date.

Get Ready to Ask, and to Listen

While we want to ask "what matters" each and every day, June 6 is a great reminder to have this conversation on a regular basis. To help you prepare for the big day, our Guide to Having Conversations About What Matters is one of our favourite tools, with some great tips about asking the question on pages 4-10!

The guide also has helpful information on how to listen to what matters, including verbal and nonverbal approaches to active listening. Learn more on pages 11-14.

Here are some more resources with tips on how to ask the question and start conversations:

Download the Getting Started Kit for tools specific to providers as well as for patients, family members or caregivers to help spark “What Matters to You?” conversations
Share your story and let us know how it felt to have a conversation about what matters
Order free resources to promote "What Matters to You?". We've got posters, pocket cards, stickers, and several other resources for patients and providers. We'll mail them to you anywhere in BC!
Spread the word online using the hashtag #WMTY19
Watch and share videos about how to have conversations that matter

Family Panel Webinar
May 28 | Online

Leadership Panel Webinar
May 30 | Online

Patient Partner Orientation Session
June 4 | Online

"What Matters to You?" Day Celebration Webinar
June 6 | Online

Patient Partner Orientation Session
June 18 | Online

See all the events in our calendar.

Questions or Suggestions?

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