Use patients’ experience!

People who suffer from cardiovascular disorders see their doctor for ten minutes only, twice a year, on average. The remaining 8765 hours, they, or their caretaker(s), have to deal with their disorder by themselves. Taking medication in time, dealing with side effects, balancing nutrition, adjusting their way of living. The patient knows better than anyone else which bottlenecks and opportunities they face. Doctors don’t use this enough.

We are experts by experience, use our expertise
You need us to renew the healthcare system. No organization can innovate without target group research. Unfortunately, this still happens a lot within the field of healthcare. This has to change!

Is it scientifically proven?
Some knowledge cannot be found in books. We have experience-based knowledge. A database full of it. Let’s discover together how this knowledge can make a difference.

Don’t be afraid
Be open and listen. Truly listen. Let the patient’s story surprise you… Then you’ll get input. “Why didn’t you think of that yourself?” It’s not complicated, but you do need to have courage.

Give us a right to vote
How can our advice really be taken into account when other people within the healthcare system do all the decision making? Let us share in decision-making. That’s the only way that works.

Mere obligation?
Don’t make any disinvestments. Are your financier’s demands the only reason why you want to involve patients? Will our input be reduced to a footer of an attachment? (Please be honest to yourself…) We call that false participation. Nobody benefits from that, right?

In short: Use the least utilized source within healthcare
And when you do, make sure you have enough time. An equal cooperation takes time. Our time is valuable and has a price, too. It’s worth it and will pay for itself. Don’t we both work on improving the quality of patients’ lives?

Together, we can transform healthcare into a patient-driven system
Our healthcare system is under great pressure. If we want to continue to have high-quality healthcare, we shouldn’t do things differently… We should start doing different things.

Source: Harteraad (website Manifest – Harteraad in Dutch).
*We refers to Harteraad, THE centre of expertise for living with cardiovascular disorders. They help people who suffer from cardiovascular disorders and their loved ones by offering practical, social and emotional support. Harteraad also looks after the interests of the 1.7 million people in the Netherlands who suffer from cardiovascular disorders. Harteraad looks after their interests with the government, in scientific research, with insurance companies and healthcare professionals.