Patients

When we look at data, it’s sometimes easy to forget the human side of the story. To improve patient health, it’s important to understand the patient voice. At the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), we want to bring the patient perspective to more of our work. Understanding the patient voice Patients offer a unique […]

Join us on May 28 at 3:45 PM for the e-Health 2024 Closing Keynote presentation. Closing keynote speaker Tamara Taggart learned how to be an advocate out of necessity. When her son Beckett was born with Down syndrome, healthcare providers were negative and dismissive of his potential. When her son was three years old, Tamara […]

Although digital health has been part of our health system for decades, its widespread adoption during the pandemic led to considerable research and innovation that has helped us to understand its effectiveness and efficiency more deeply. Differences have been noted when considering the patient, provider, or systemic perspective. As a patient partner over the last […]

My name is Jenna Kedy, a 19-year-old chronic illness warrior from Nova Scotia, deeply engaged in the realm of patient partnership. Since 2019, at the tender age of 15, I embarked on a journey as a patient partner, collaborating with various organizations, including e-Health. As I reflect on my experiences spanning the pre-pandemic era to […]

Lost in the Healthcare Maze: One Pregnant Woman’s Agonizing Quest for a Simple Referral  How outdated healthcare communication systems create a frustrating experience for patients, from endless phone calls to costly parking meters. Frustration seeps through me as I decide, “This is the last time I’m trying.” I pull out my phone and dial the […]

For me, health care is personal. As a patient who lives in a small isolated rural community in the middle of the Prairie, I was instilled with the values of independence, resilience, to be a good neighbour and to be active in maintaining the health and well-being of my community through service to others.  There […]

Attending a curated learning conference like e-Health 2023 can be a deeply enriching experience. As the world begins a slow return to normal, live events are making a welcome comeback, especially for isolated work-from-home professionals looking forward to the benefits of in-person learning and networking. Read on for three good reasons to love in-person learning […]

There’s often an internalized stigma when we consider ourselves patients. But the reality is, we’re all patients! From birth and beyond, we rely on our clinics, emergency departments, public health systems, and the experts.

I once read that “teachers don’t teach for the income — teachers teach for the outcome.” That is what motivates me to volunteer as a patient partner / advisor in the healthcare sector. Patient partners aren’t usually paid for their contributions and are often the only unpaid members at committees and conferences. We do this […]

Being a patient advisor has given me access to many discussions and learning opportunities, not just within my home province of Alberta. It has allowed me to gain insight into healthcare across Canada. I am able to bring a patient perspective to various panels, meetings, and projects, and experience has shown that it grounds the […]