La version francaise suivra bientot!
If we appear to be MIA on social media land lately, it’s only because we’ve been busy
We recently met a few very inspiring and encouraging folks who have generously shared their experiences, knowledge and vision with us. Each of these meetings give me a little boost of confidence. Nothing feels quite like seeing people resonate with an idea that you’re so passionate about.
As we navigate through the a-MAZE-ing adventures of building a successful startup in the healthcare space, we are discovering ourselves through our audience. Our recent meeting with two representatives from the Patients’ Association of Canada (PAC) was one such encounter. Alies and Emily were kind enough to meet with us and give us their perspectives on patient experience in primary care. They also told us fascinating and inspiring stories about how organizations like PAC can really make a difference for the patient.
For PAC, including the patient in decision making is key. Doctors, nurses and managers can’t fully anticipate patients’ state of mind when they come for treatment and sometimes this can lead to inefficiencies. An example she gave was a hospital department for children. They were revamping the menu and decided to have children try the meals before the new menus were adopted. The little patients surprised everybody with insights that doctors, nutritionists, and other decision makers did not expect:
“Where is the macaroni and cheese? Or hotdogs?”
Children prefer familiar foods. Forget about trying new exotic diets…
” I’d like to be given food when I’m hungry”.
Children were usually served their meals at set times, and if they didn’t feel like eating, they had to wait until the next meal was served. Sometimes, treatments can make them nauseous and they end up wasting their food. They would prefer a more flexible schedule.
This saved the hospital about $350,000 worth of wasted food. It’s the little things that make all the difference. We look forward to meeting with PAC again and sharing more of their amazing success stories with you. Until then, get your flu shot!
Sherry