Improving health care starts with listening to the individuals it serves. Patient Experience Week is an opportunity to highlight the important collaboration among patients, families, and staff within the health care system. At Choosing Wisely Canada, patient partners guide our work to reduce unnecessary harm and encourage safer care choices. Their reflections, shared here, highlight why this collaboration matters.

For Amy Ma, a patient partner who has worked with Choosing Wisely Canada for nearly a decade, collaboration is paramount. “Patient partners are essential for quality improvement in our health system, as they fall through the cracks and know where many challenges lie that clinicians and researchers might not be aware of,” she shares.

Amy also reflects on how advocacy impacted her experience of care. “My work as a patient partner with Choosing Wisely Canada made me aware of the Opioids Wisely campaign,” she says. “This improved the experience of my teens when they went and had their wisdom teeth removed, as I could ask for a prescription painkiller that wasn’t opioid based as a starting point.”

Tony, a patient advisor in Newfoundland and Labrador, was first introduced to the importance of collaboration as a caregiver. “Helping my father navigate the health care system for over 10 years opened my eyes to both the strengths and the gaps in how care is provided,” he says. “Particularly for vulnerable patients. I learned how important it is for patients and families to be informed and involved in helping make a difference right from research to practice.”

As someone living in a community in the Northwest Territories, patient partner Jane Arychuk has witnessed the impact of collaboration outside of urban centres. “I see our patient voices being listened to and our ideas being considered as we continue to maneuver in a shrinking system.”

Each reflection highlights how working with patient partners drives meaningful change — whether in research or practice. From planetary health to chronic illness management or medication appropriateness, patients are at the centre of every health care improvement opportunity. By actively involving patient partners, we can create a health system that better supports all Canadians.