My Health My Voice – marking World Patient Safety Day, the HSE encourages patients to ask the important questions

Marking World Patient Safety Day (Tuesday, 17 September 2024), the HSE encourages people to ask their healthcare staff the important questions. This ensures they have all the information they need to help them on their patient journey.

In recognition of the day, the HSE, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Patients for Patient Safety Ireland, has launched #MyHealthMyVoice - a resource to improve communications between patients and their healthcare provider, in any setting.

Questions you can ask

What do I need to know now?

This can help people feel more prepared and involved in their care and understand what they need to know about their health and care.

What do I need to do next and why?

By asking this, patients can better understand what is happening with their care and make a healthcare plan based on their options.

What can I expect?

This question can help prepare patients for what happens next, be aware of how their health issues may affect themselves and their loved ones and help plan to protect their wellbeing by following their healthcare plan.

Dr Orla Healy, HSE National Clinical Director, Quality and Patient Safety, explained: “We know effective communication is a cornerstone of diagnostic safety.  However, research* shows one in three patients struggle to understand health-related information, leading to potential delays in diagnosis.  To help address this challenge, the HSE worked with patient partners and the Department of Health on the development of the #MyHealthMyVoice resource to foster better communication between people and their healthcare providers. 

“It aims to help people to feel more confident in sharing their symptoms with healthcare providers and to ask the important questions to help them on their health journey. All of us can struggle with complex healthcare information and instructions so it’s important that we ask these key questions to ensure we receive accurate diagnoses and health outcomes.”

Dr John Brennan, a GP from Gowran Medical Centre, Co Kilkenny, said: “Our ability to achieve accurate diagnoses relies heavily on clear communication with our patients. Having those open, two-way conversations are very important. Consultations with my patients start with ‘how are you’, ‘what can I do for you today’ or how can I help?’ The answers I listen to are probably the most important part of getting to an accurate and timely diagnosis. Preparing answers to these questions can be very helpful for your doctor.

“Some diagnoses can be reached quickly often just in one visit, while others can take longer, requiring several visits, further tests or even a visit to a consultant. The #MyHealthMyVoice leaflet is very useful in helping to guide and shape conversations around the diagnostic process. I would encourage patients to try the leaflets and if unsure during a consultation, please ask the questions. We want each of our patients to fully understand their diagnostic journey and feel confident in the care they receive. 

“Another helpful tip is to keep a list of the symptoms that you are experiencing if feeling unwell and how they change over time.  Share this list at the beginning of your consultation so that you can work together with your doctor. Better communications between patients and clinicians leads to more accurate diagnoses and better health outcomes.”

In addition to the leaflet which can also be watched as an animated clip, the HSE National Quality and Patient Safety Directorate has developed a Walk and Talk Improvement podcast episode for the public, centred on improving diagnostic safety, as part of World Patient Safety Day.

Speaking about the HSE resource, Bernie O’Reilly, Chair of Patients for Patient Safety Ireland, said: “#MyHealthMyVoice is a useful aid to help us focus and prepare for healthcare appointments and capture information to assist us, rather than relying on memory alone. It gives us the confidence to ask questions during appointments allowing us to feel more involved in our care.

“Not all patients feel as comfortable asking questions, and this leaflet helps provide a structure to appointments and points to suggested questions to ask.  It also provides links to trusted sources of information and a very useful medicines list template.”

The #MyHealthMyVoice leaflet is now available on the HSE National Quality and Patient Safety Directorate website.  Healthcare providers are encouraged to share this valuable resource with their patients.

World Patient Safety Day is an opportunity to raise public awareness and foster collaboration between patients, health workers, policy makers and health care leaders to improve patient safety. This year, the theme is ‘Improving diagnosis for patient safety’, highlighting the critical importance of correct and timely diagnosis in ensuring patient safety and improving health outcomes.