Health Professionals

The Patient Voices Network collaborates with diverse health organizations and professionals to ensure that the patient perspective is included in primary healthcare transformation and re-design initiatives. Part of the challenge with this approach has been lack of access to patients; although healthcare stakeholders have wanted to include patients in the primary healthcare transformation process, they are often unable to access patients in a timely manner.

How can we help?

The Patient Voices Network is creating a registry of patients from across British Columbia. Our patients receive training and are supported to participate in primary healthcare re-design in a manner that is relevant and meaningful to both patients and stakeholders. An added benefit of our database is the inclusion of patients from different regions of British Columbia, as well as diverse representation.

Why is this important?

Better patient experience in healthcare is important for several reasons:

  • Better experience = better health outcomes
  • Better experience = improved safety
  • Better experience = sense of control and ownership of the system
  • Better experience = reduced costs to the system
  • Better experience = better support for BC health services
  • A good experience is what all healthcare professionals want to provide!

Examples of Patient Voices Network collaborations

The College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC) collaborated with Patient Voices Network to gather feedback from patients on a draft questionnaire. This questionnaire will be used as part of a multisource feedback project this fall to enhance nursing care across BC. Members of the Patient Voices Network had opportunities to give feedback through both a focus group and on-line survey.
The Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare in BC requested patients from across British Columbia to participate in an on-line panel discussion along with healthcare workers, managers, insurers and Ministry of Health representatives. The aim of this study was to learn how decisions made about occupational health and safety programs and initiatives in healthcare impact worker health and patient health. This study was funded by WorkSafeBC.
The Patient Voices Network recruited and helped prepare patients to participate in a full day conference on "Attachment and Integration: Collaboration at Work" on March 25, 2010 in Vancouver. This conference was hosted by the General Practice Services Committee, a joint committee of the BC Ministry of Health Services and the BC Medical Association (BCMA). Our patients joined over 100 healthcare decision makers, family physicians and health authority staff attended from around BC to discuss how every person in BC who wants a family doctor can have a family doctor (attachment) ,and how family doctors and the healthcare system can work together (integration).
The Patient Voices Network drafted and distributed a survey on behalf of Primary Health Care & Aboriginal Health, Fraser Health Authourity (FHA). FHA wanted input from the public to help name a new Primary Care Service opening soon in one of its communities in the Fraser Valley. Specifically, they would like a name that is more "patient-centered, understandable, non- medical, and easy to remember.”

If you would like to include some patient voices in your health initiative, please contact ptoppingsatpatientvoices [dot] ca (Peter Toppings, Program Manager.)

Resource Materials

If you would like informational materials on Patient Voices Network to display in your organization or to distribute to staff or patients, please email  connectatpatientvoices [dot] ca.