As another decade draws to a close, many lists of what to expect for 2020 and the next decade will be entering my Inbox.

I have thought about and listed what my wish list would be as a patient for health care.

Foster true patient partnership

  • Authentically support patient partnership at all levels of health care organizations to ensure the patient, family and caregiver voice is at the table
  • Partner with patients to support them to engage and become more activated in their care for better outcomes

Continue to embed family-centered care at the heart of health care

  • Share information, always include respect and dignity in care, partner and collaborate, negotiate and be flexible and care in the context of family and community 5

Accelerate unfettered access to health data

  • Mobilize easy and instant access to patients’ health data across the health care continuum for both patients and health care teams

Protect Physician and health care team wellness

  • Initiate top down executive level initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of physicians and health care teams
  • Stimulate public support for the idea that health care systems, and the medical system as a whole, are not only responsible for patients care but for the support of the physicians and health care teams who work within them

Encourage Empathy and kindness

  • Encourage and welcome kindness and empathy in every interaction in health care 3,4

Heart in your hands

Advance access to care and care coordination

  • Identify areas of vulnerability for access to care and mobilize action
  • Create strong networks for transitions in care

Build Strong Primary care networks

  • Enhance access for all to primary care physicians
  • Develop robust network structures to enable care in the community and not just in the acute setting

Increase support for moving from a sickness to wellness model

  • Fiscally support and promote a focus on preventative care

This is my wish list – do you have one? What are your wishes and how can we make our wish lists a reality?

References

  1. https://pxjournal.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1235&context=journal
  2. https://www.opennotes.org/case-for-opennotes/
  3. https://www.harpercollins.com/9781443451079/the-power-of-kindness/
  4. https://www.gatheringofkindness.org/
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3262132/