Patient and Family Advisors: Coming Together to Transform the Health System

By involving patients and their experiences as an essential aspect of HQT2015 and ensuring their perspectives were accessible throughout the days program, we are proud to have represented the ideals of the Patients Included status at our event. Click here to see how HQT2015 meets the requirements for Patients Included status under their Charter.

Visit the Patients Included website for more information, and follow the hashtag #PatientsIncluded to stay up to date on Twitter.

This year, we increased the amount of content at Health Quality Transformation 2015 created both by and for patients, caregivers and the public. In collaboration with the Beryl Institute, HQO presented the Patient and Family Advisors: Coming Together to Transform the Health System. These unique sessions and speakers focus on patient-centred care and patient engagement.

Watch the live stream recording of the sessions on our YouTube page.

Also, watch Judith John give her emotional keynote address. Everyone interacts with health care at different points in their lives, sometimes when they're expecting it and sometimes not. At any time, we can be just a step away from crossing the threshold into the health care system, and Judith John has crossed it in three ways: as a senior communications executive in some of Ontario's largest hospital's, as a longtime patient grappling with an inoperable brain tumour, and as a caregiver to her husband, who has cancer. Her remarks, along with André Picard, the award winning national public health writer closed the day reinforced the importance of patient-centered care.

Look for more content from the day coming soon!

Patient Included

Patients or caregivers with experience relevant to the conference’s central theme actively participate in the design and planning of the event, including the selection of themes, topics and speakers.

Health Quality Transformation 2015 is designed with patients, caregivers and the public in mind. In collaboration with The Beryl Institute, HQO has created Patient and Family Advisors: Coming Together to Transform the Health System – a unique patient, family and caregiver advisor focused content track within the agenda of HQT2015. Led by a committee of Patient Advisors, the program includes unique breakout sessions and several networking opportunities allowing patient and family advisors from across our health system to come together to share experiences and best practices.

Each year HQO invites the submission of abstracts that illustrate progress made in the advancement of a high performing health care system. Abstracts focus on some aspect of improving the quality of care and demonstrate the uptake of evidence-informed best practices and innovations by health care providers and programs at the local, regional and/or provincial level. This year, a Patient Advisor reviewed each abstract submitted.

The 2015 Minister's Medal Honouring Excellence in Health Quality and Safety recognizes the excellent work that health care providers do every day and will be awarded at HQT2015. Each year, the Medal is awarded to one team of organizations and one individual champion who put patients in the centre of the circle of care and incorporate a focus on quality and safety into everything they do. This year's application criteria also emphasize the importance of the patient's voice in the development and delivery of individual health care approaches.

Patients or caregivers with experience of the issues addressed by the event participate in its delivery, and appear in its physical audience.

Health Quality Transformation 2015 is a free event, open to the public to attend. Our outreach includes patient focused organizations, and representatives from across the province, as well as the general public.

The patient and caregiver perspective is a central theme of HQT2015 and the work overall of HQO. Beyond the creation this year of the Patient and Family Advisors: Coming Together to Transform the Health System track, throughout the HQT2015 program patient and caregivers are an integral part of breakout sessions as speakers and participants, and will lead conversations generating dialogue amongst the anticipated 1,500+ delegates. This also includes patient representatives on panels, workshops and Lunch & Learns.

Travel and accommodation expenses for patients or carers participating in the advertised programme are paid in full, in advance. Scholarships are provided by the conference organisers to allow patients or carers affected by the relevant issues to attend as delegates.

Health Quality Transformation 2015 is a free event, HQO acknowledges that costs incurred for travel and accommodation can impact patient and family advisors ability to attend. Therefore, we have established a bursary program for Patient Advisors hoping to attend the conference. Click here for more information.

All travel and accommodation expenses for patients or caregivers participating as speakers at HQT2015 have their expenses paid in full, and in advance if required.

The disability requirements of participants are accommodated. All applicable sessions, breakouts, ancillary meetings, and other programme elements are open to patient delegates.

Health Quality Transformation 2015 is held each year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC). The MTCC is committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner and do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”).

Access for virtual participants is facilitated, with free streaming video provided online wherever possible.

Health Quality Transformation 2015 will be live streaming the Patient and Family Advisors: Coming Together to Transform the Health System in both English and French Canadian.

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