Current Profile:

Building the Patient Voice into Health Care Improvement

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health’s Patients as Partners initiative, the Patient Voices Network was founded in late 2009 to provide a registry and an active network of patients who wish to use their experiences towards positive change in the health care system, working collaboratively with health care providers and policy makers.

The Network is led by ImpactBC, whose work is founded on two principles: quality improvement based on evidence and sound methodologies; and the importance of the patient voice in all health care improvement endeavours.

The Patient Voices Network has resonated with British Columbians, with almost 1,000 members currently in the registry.  Of these, 215 are in the activated network.  Many orientation sessions, conference calls, advisory committees, and focus groups have taken place over the last year but until last month, there had been no opportunity for patients to meet face-to-face with each other—or with care providers and other stakeholders in the program. But all of this changed on April 15th with the Patients as Partners Forum.

The event was an overwhelming success and brought together providers and patients to review the Patients as Partners first Annual Report and to explore new opportunities for the patient voice in guiding health care improvement. Fifty patients from the Patient Voices Network and Vancouver Coastal Health’s CEAN (Community Engagement and Advisory Network) attended, alongside 50 service providers from the Health Authorities, the Ministry of Health, and organizations that included the BC Medical Association, General Practice Services Committee, Shared Care Committee, and a range of non-governmental organizations. “Having all types of people at the forum showed how many people are involved in this movement and how big it really is—and how big it can be,” remarked one patient.

The following day, the Patient Voices Network held its Voices in Action Provincial Forum, which allowed 70 patients to meet, learn and work together face-to-face for the first time since the Network was founded. Participants heard about past, present, and future initiatives to integrate the patient voice in health care decision-making. They shared experiences and participated in skill-building workshops on a range of topics including diversity, patient-doctor communications, and the role of social media in accessing health information.

Both events featured keynote speaker David Gilbert, who has been an active force in patient-centred improvement work in the UK and internationally for over 25 years. His experience and insights sparked a number of excellent discussions during the two days of learning. Angela Achoba, a nursing student from Kamloops and active member of the Patient Voices Network told us, “The Voices in Action Forum gave me a rare chance to connect and network with patients from other health regions in the province. The skill building workshops were very useful; allowing a small group to learn from the presenters and also share their own stories. It was an enriching and engaging event and I really appreciated the opportunity to attend.”

The Patient Voices Network played an active role in two recent BC Patient Safety & Quality Council initiatives: Mapping the Patient's Medication Journey and the Integrated Care Collaborative Planning Meeting.

 

APRIL FAHR, ImpactBC

For more information:

Patient Voices Network www.patientvoices.ca

ImpactBC www.impactbc.ca