June is almost over, which means that the What Matters To You Campaign put on by the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council is almost over. But that doesn’t mean that health care professionals should stop working with the patients they serve to improve the standard level of care provided in BC and Canada as a whole.
"What Matters To You?" is a simple question that can have a big impact on the quality of care.
When a health care provider starts a conversation by asking what really matters to the person they are caring for, it helps them to build trust, develop empathy, and understand their patients. Ultimately, it improves the quality of care they provide.
“What Matters to You?” Day started in Norway in 2014 with the aim of encouraging and supporting more meaningful conversations between people who provide health and social care and the people, families, and carers who receive that care. What began as a national effort has gained momentum as an international movement, with over 15 countries participating in this year’s event.
BC’s first WMTY Day was hosted by the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council (BCPSQC) on June 6, 2017, in partnership with the Patient Voices Network’s Oversight & Advisory Committee
Learn more about the 2017 Campaign in BCPSQC’s “Conversations That Matter – A Report on “What Matter’s To You Day 2017”
“Pharmacists play a key role in the health of patients and often have strong relationships with their patients. Asking a patient what really matters to them allows you to foster your relationship. In the process, you may discover something about your patient that you wouldn’t have learned otherwise – you may even be able to offer more appropriate medication advice based on what you learned.”
- Danielle Simpson, Leader of Innovation and Engagement, BC Patient Safety and Quality Council. (ReadLinks Guest Post April 2017)
Ask Your Patients
The College encourages registrants to keep an open dialogue with their patients and to use conversation to uncover important issues and ultimately create more patient-centred environments where safety and the provision of care that meets the specific needs of individual patients are of the utmost importance.