Personalising your care - what matters to you

We want to provide every Coventry & Warwickshire resident with personalised care – this is when your doctor, nurse and other health and care professionals work together with you to make the best decisions about your health and care. 

It is really important that you feel informed and actively involved in your healthcare. When you understand what's going on with your health, you can make better decisions around your care and treatment. By understanding what matters to you, we can help you to maximise your independence, choice and control over your health and wellbeing throughout your life.

• What does it mean to me?
• What do I have to do?

• Asking the right questions - it's ok to ask
• Preparing for your appointment
• Why is the NHS adopting personalised care?
• Find out more about personalised care

What does it mean to me?

When your care is personalised, you…

• are the most important person in your health and care.
• are not just seen as a condition or on a pathway but as a person with different experiences and strengths.
• only have to tell your story once, and the focus of the conversation is on what matters to you and what’s important to you, not what’s wrong with you.
• have support to build your knowledge, confidence, and the skills to look after your health and wellbeing.
• can make a shared and informed decision about your health and care options with doctors, nurses and health and care professionals who see you as an equal and active partner in your life and care. 

 

What do I have to do?

We want you to play an active part in your care and treatment, based on ‘what matters to you’. Our health and care teams are being trained in how to provide you with personalised care, and we want you (and your family and carers) to understand what’s going on, so you can be involved in and make better decisions about your health, care and treatment. 

Telling us what matters to you, preparing for your appointment, and asking the right questions will make all the difference to the care you receive.

Tell us what matters to you

The doctor, nurse or healthcare professional is an expert in the options for your treatment, but you are the expert when it comes to you, your life goals, and what matters to you. Knowing more about you and what matters to you can help doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals give you the best advice and care – such as going ahead with surgery or choosing a different treatment option. Here are some things for you to think about before your appointment:

(You can download a copy of this leaflet here, if you like.)

What do I need to tell you?

We want a record of the things which you feel are important for us to know about your needs, your strengths, what matters to you, your concerns and your preferences. It provides an easy way of knowing what really matters to you, and you can take it with you as you move through services and have contact with different people. 

We have an ‘It’s ok to ask’ form with space for you to write in, and a blank ‘About Me’ form to help you do this.

Have a go. It asks you to record things like:

• What is most important to you.
• Your goals and aspirations.
• How you want to communicate with us, and how you want us to communicate with you.    
• A description of things you would like someone to support you to DO and any you DO NOT want support with.
• A description of what you can do, your strengths and skills, how you engage with others and how you feel on a typical day.
• Symptoms that affect your every day life, such as a cough, pain, itchiness etc and how you manage these.
• Tell us about your life now, your work, study, your aspirations, your skills, your networks, things you like or don’t like, such as foods, places, a football team, things you like to talk about and things you don’t.
   

Download ‘It's OK to Ask’ questions for you to think about and space to make notes

Asking the right questions – it’s ok to ask

When you understand what’s going on with your health, you can make better decisions around your care and treatment. Knowing more about you can help doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals give you the best advice and care.

By the end of a health or care appointment we want to be able to answer these questions together with you:

• What is my main problem?
• What do I need to do?
• Why is it important to do this?

To help you get the most out of your appointment, here are four important questions to ask:

1) What are the benefits of my treatment?
Your healthcare professional will be able to explain why they think a certain treatment would be the best option for you compared to other treatments available.

2) What are the risks of my treatment?
Your healthcare professional will be able to explain the risks or possible side effects of your treatment and reassure you about any concerns you may have.

3) Are there any alternative treatments I can try?
Your healthcare professional will be able to outline any alternative treatments that may be available to you.

4) What if I do nothing?
Your healthcare professional can explain what may happen if you choose not to go ahead with your planned treatment. If you feel unsure about decisions your healthcare providers are taking and what it means for you, you must remember that it's OK to ask.

Preparing for your appointment

• Complete the ‘It's OK to Ask’ questions form and the blank ’About Me’ form and take them with you, so you can say what matters to you and what is important to you. It will help you have a better conversation with your healthcare professional.
• Write notes about your symptoms, medicines or other health issues.
• Feel free to bring a family member or friend to your appointment. They can ask questions too and help you remember what is said and take notes.
• Don’t be afraid to tell your healthcare professional if you don’t understand what they’ve said.
• Don’t feel embarrassed about asking your healthcare professional to explain things again.
• Ask your healthcare professional to write down and explain any words you don’t know or understand.
• Write your questions down before the appointment to make sure you ask everything you want to.
• Remember it is ok to ask again if anything is unclear.