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.
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!
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.
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.