On the 11th day of Christmas with Care Opinion, we’re gifted with inspiring reflections from our COO, Miriam, as she shares how recent student presentations moved and inspired us all. Read on to discover the impact patient stories have on the next generation of healthcare professionals.
A few days ago, four Sheffield medical students gave presentations on different pieces of research that they had carried out, looking at Care Opinion stories each around a different area. (There will be a blog on this, so look out for it in the new year!)
They were interesting, insightful and so engaged, and it struck me that deep diving into the stories had a profound impact on them. They really had started to see healthcare “through the patient’s eyes”.
After my almost 20 years at Care Opinion, it was truly humbling to hear the students talk thoughtfully about these stories, drawing out themes and taking so much learning from them. Importantly, they spoke about the impact the stories had had on them, and how this will influence their practice as future healthcare professionals. This went far beyond anything we could have envisaged when we started out on our Care Opinion journey so many years ago.
But learning and change like this doesn’t just happen by magic. It takes a lot of hard work by a very determined group of people: our moderators, support team, website developers, comms and admin staff. The steady, daily work behind the scenes, along with the gifts of feedback given freely by authors all over the UK, creates a public resource that is helping to grow the understanding of future healthcare professionals and indeed change the culture of care itself.
So many of these wonderful opportunities are possible only because of our committed and passionate team, supporting staff and students to hear the voices of patients and carers. Everyone at Care Opinion shares a passion to make a difference in this way, working in a team which constantly connects to purpose. And in hearing from our students last week, we understand and are inspired by the difference we can make.
I want to thank every single member of our wonderful team, for all they do and for the passion with which they work, and the special colleagues that they are.
