Patient Videos

Patient experiences are often inaccessible and unexposed to hospital decision-makers. To address this gap, Toronto East General Hospital has been filming interviews with patients over the past three years and has collected over 150 unique patient experiences. These videos have been instrumental in grounding staff with the realities of patient care and providing a human face to the Hospital’s performance metrics and strategic priorities.

At Toronto East General, Patient Videos are filmed with the intent of capturing the complex interplay of services and interactions which influence the patient experience. To gather these stories, a Patient Story Toolkit was developed which helps to guide the interview process and maintain the unique perspective each story brings. These videos are then used for internal educational purposes and are highlighted at various leadership tables; forming the basis for brainstorming, discussion and problem-solving throughout the organization. The videos are featured at committee meetings, allowing the patient voice to be prominently featured at Board meetings, executive leadership meetings, unit huddles and open forums. These levels of organizational visibility help ensure that the learning captured through these interviews drive continuous quality improvement and innovation. As such, Patient Videos have led to the development of action plans based on the insights and experiences shared by the patient. These action plans have resulted in organizational initiatives such as hourly rounding, patient entertainment programs, and improved signage and policy changes..

Overall, these videos allow patients to tell their story, and in turn impact the design of programs, services and processes across the hospital and drive the development of a patient centred culture. These videos not only allow patients to voice their concerns, but empower them to make changes in the care they receive. As an organization, Toronto East General Hospital believes that the patient should always come first.

Since there implementation in 2011, Patient Videos have become a key driver contributing to quality improvement initiatives at Toronto East General Hospital. Improvement conversations now span from the bedside to the boardroom and are centred on the patient voice, allowing patient perspectives to be represented, discussed and influence the design of hospital initiatives.

Contact Information:

Title:Director Improvement and Innovation

Contact information: mirom@tegh.on.ca