A Patient’s Journey: Navigating Life with Type 1 Diabetes
Published April 30, 2024
We are all patients. This article represents my views from my personal experience with type 1 diabetes for 25 years, in combination with my professional experience over the past 10 years as I have worked in patient support, health promotion and improving the patients’ experience. I aim to provide an outlook on the patient perspective, how the physician encounter translates to them and finally, what are some gaps that need to be filled in order to have a better experience and better health outcomes as a result. As I wrote the article, I shared my perspective building on my personal encounters and reflected on what I personally believe could be added to the journey of patients in order to improve it.
Related content
-
Patient Family & Community Engagement
Turning Teen Volunteers into Healthcare Leaders
Published June 25, 2026
(This podcast is Part 1 of a content series on Teen/Youth Volunteer Programs.) What happens when hospitals stop treating teen volunteers as helpers and start empowering them as leaders? In this episode, Terri Ipsen sits down with Tracy Herrington and Tammy Rivera of CommonSpirit Health to explore an innovative teen volunteer program that develops leadership
Learn more -
Innovation & Technology | Patient Family & Community Engagement | Staff & Provider Engagement
The Patient Experience with Virtual Care
Published September 18, 2025

Complimentary – Bedside nurses love the efficiency and workflow improvements virtual care gives them. But what do patients think about it? Join leaders from The Christ Hospital, Cook Children’s, Henry Ford Health, and Lehigh Valley Health Network to hear how their patients are reacting to virtual care sessions, and the difference it’s making to bedside care.
Learn more -
Patient Family & Community Engagement
Accelerating Patient Connections: Transforming Experience with the F.A.S.T. Method
Published October 12, 2025
Marian Regional Medical Center transformed its emergency department experience using the F.A.S.T. Method—an empathetic communication framework focused on human connection. The F.A.S.T. Method stands for Focus, Acknowledge, Share, and Transfer, which are the critical components designed to enhance patient interaction and satisfaction. Focusing on the patient’s needs from the moment they arrive helps in establishing
Learn more