WMTY.world - A collaboration with The Beryl Institute
I learned about this idea, not only asking "What's the matter?" but also, "What matters to you?" from a NEJM article by Susan Edgman-Levitan and Michael Barry in 2012, and the idea filled me with a sense of hope, optimism and ideas for a better future for health and care. Now, this global community is making the changes we all need for patients and their families, for our teams, and for ourselves.
My WMTY dedication stems from my time at IHI, learning from Maureen Bisognano the importance of patient-centered care. My first projects embodied these principles through collaborative partnerships with patients and families. Witnessing a decline in compassion in clinical practice reinforced the need for simple tools which help understand and act on individual patient needs.
After hearing Maureen speak at the IHI forum I challenged myself to start asking my patients about what mattered most to them. I was surprised by how effective the question was at eliciting important information that allowed me to meet my patients where they were and collaborate with them to develop care plans that were actually actionable!
What matters to you are 4 simple words that have the potential make a huge difference when asked. They can, and do, completely change conversations, connecting us as people, ensuring we are truly focused on the things that matter, and enabling us to explore these together. Whether that is with people receiving care, our colleagues, or our families and friends. Starting conversations with what matters to you, helps us have better conversations where we ask, listen and do what matters, resulting in improved experiences for everyone.
Does anyone ever ask you, "What matters to you?" What truly matters? If not, they should, because WMTY is a simple yet powerful question, a new vital sign that can be added to the classic ones, such as pulse rate and body temperature. WMTY is the first step towards more kindness and compassion, the true purpose and meaning that we need in healthcare. This is why WMTY matters to me!
Understanding what matters most to people is perhaps the most meaningful thing we can do in any relationship. I love the the WMTY movement because it is helping us to re-centre & prioritise our attention on the relational, the art of listening, & kindness. This not only enhances experiences & outcomes for people we serve, but also restores enjoyment & fulfilment for healthcare staff too.
Giving and receiving health care is – or should be – a very human act. As a doctor, I was trained to find and act on deficits: what’s the matter with you? 30 years after starting training, I discovered a simple yet powerful complement to this: asking also what matters to you? Asking this question builds relationship, starts the coproduction process and personalises care.
After more than 45 years in the helping professions, one thing remains crystal clear to me. What matters to a person is what drives them forward. So, asking what matters to someone is the key to connecting with them and that creates a pathway for supporting them.
In healthcare especially:
“ASK not:
Why is my patient non-compliant?
INSTEAD, ask:
What did I not hear, not offer, not ask?"
My appreciation for the importance of going beyond 'what is the matter with me' to understand 'what matters to me' changed in 2010, after my diagnosis with a brain tumour. I am more than just a patient, a diagnosis or a condition. How we look for ways to embed what matters to people into everyday conversations in healthcare is now a key focus for me as a healthcare advocate.
Asking 'what matters to you' is a simple yet incredibly powerful question that I believe has the potential to transform healthcare, one conversation at a time. These four words asked with kind curiosity, listened to with attentiveness & responded to with action have the potential to build relationships & drive meaningful change- for both the patients we serve & for the colleagues we work amongst.
I sat in the audience in Paris 2013 and heard Maureen Bisognano say it's all about moving from asking "What's the matter?" to "What matters to you?" I could immediately feel it in my head and heart. Something just clicked, and I felt it resonated with what I believe in. It helped me to talk about the person perspective in our aim to create best possible healthcare in Norway. The question became a driver for our systematic patient-pathways to elderly and LTC in Norway.