“What Matters to You?” Day started in Norway in 2014, with the goal of encouraging meaningful conversations between patients, caregivers, families and their health care providers. A decade later, we now know how powerful this question can be.
When a health care provider starts a conversation by asking what really matters, it helps ensure care is aligned with patient priorities – because knowing what matters supports the right care at the right time, which can improve health outcomes. As you can see, it’s a simple question that can have a big impact on care!
But did you know that patients can also start a “What Matters to You?” conversation? The next time you meet with your health care provider, take a moment to ensure they know what is most important to you in your care:
- Prepare for the question: use self-reflection to figure out what you would like to say
- Share what matters: your goals, hopes and stories
- Partner for action: discuss your treatment options and what you value in relation to your care
On June 6, join us in celebrating the 10th International “What Matters to You?” Day. There are many ways you can participate:
- Take part in a one-person challenge: Either ask one person “What Matters to You?” or share information about the movement with one person and then let us know what happened as a result of this conversation
- Share your own “What Matters to You?" story
- Use #WMTY on social media to join the conversation
Spreading ideas and stories of empathy, compassion, innovation and creativity inspires others and demonstrates the impact of “What Matters to You?” for patients, families, caregivers and health care providers.
To help you with these conversations, we have many resources available to download and order from the Council website.