We are excited to share a new Patient & Family Guide created to help patients, their families, and their supporters access services at the hospital.
Patients and families have told us that they want a single document and/or a single section on our website with the information they need to visit the hospitals. The guide was developed with invaluable input from patients and families, partners, front-line care teams and leaders at the hospital.
"At BC Women's and BC Children's, we aim to establish an environment where we try to take some of the stress away from patients and their families by ensuring they have all the information they need while receiving care at the hospitals," says Mary MacKillop, Director of Patient Experience. "When we learned that families were asking where they can find information about their stay, what they need to bring, where clinics are located, and so on, we knew we needed to provide them with easier access to all that information."
The guide answers common questions that children, their parents and caregivers have before or during a hospital visit or stay.
"I want to know where my grandmother can get coffee or she's mad in the morning," says Jayden, age 8.
"I like to know what I can bring. My mother brings stuff I don't want," says Liam, age 12.
Lily, 14, who regularly comes to BC Children's for appointments, says: "Parking frustrates my parents. Information on parking is helpful."
And Carman, a mother of a BC Children's patient, says she likes to know where to get treats for her daughter and food for her other children but mostly she wants phone numbers for services in one place.
Hard copies of the guide can be found on hospital units, clinics and Navigation desks. A digital copy can be printed off the website.
"I think this guide will be very handy for our patients and families," says Flavia Mandic, a program manager at BC Children's Hospital. "There are always lots of questions and the guide can help families navigate their visit, saving them time."
Going forward, this guide will be updated twice a year with input from an advisory group of patients, families, and stakeholders.
Have feedback? We welcome comments to help improve our resources, if you would like to get in touch please email patientexperience@cw.bc.ca.
