"What matters to you?" Day

Thursday, June 01, 2023

“What matters to you?” Day is an annual celebration of putting people at the heart of their care.

Celebrated on Tuesday 6 June, this day is an opportunity for us to encourage more meaningful conversations between staff and patients, and to reflect on how we are listening, who we are listening to and what we are doing as a result.

Asking patients “What matters to you?” helps us provide better care through greater understanding of their larger context of life. Each of our patients has unique needs, values and wishes that we need to consider because when patients are engaged in their healthcare decisions, it can greatly improve their care outcomes.

Levels of Listening model

The Levels of Listening model is a useful framework to keep in mind as you listen to patients, colleagues or even your loved ones. This model supports us to think more deeply about how well we listen to one another, and then to listen in new and creative ways that foster meaningful, purposeful relationships that are focused on the things that really matter.

So next time you ask someone “What matters to you?”, reflect and ask yourself: “What level am I listening at?”

How to ask "What matters to you?"

“What matters to you?” can be asked in the following ways:

What are the things that are important to you at the moment?
What are some of the things you would you like to achieve as a result of this support?
When you have a good day, what are the things that make it good?

Staff can also use patient communication boards and the Effective Communication - Partnering in Healthcare Toolkit for more support.

Resources