A Guide to Having Conversations About What Matters

When health care providers have a conversation about what really matters to the patients they care for, it helps them to build trust, develop empathy and understand them. When patients are invited into a conversation that uncovers what’s important to them, the care they receive becomes aligned with their preferences, as well as more person- and family-centred.

Everyone who works with patients in health, social or community care across BC is invited to add one simple question into their practice each and every day, in order to improve care: “What matters to you?”

This resource provides tools specific to providers (in the first section) and then for patients, family members or caregivers (in the second section), to help make these conversations easier.