Asking “what matters to you?” helps to establish a relationship between people giving and receiving care.
It also helps you to understand the person in the context of their own life and the things that are most important to them. With this crucial insight you are in a much better position to work with the person to find the best way forward for them.
Why ‘what matters to you?’ really matters!
On 12 May 2021, professionals from Scotland, England, Norway and Brazil held an online discussion about the importance and benefits of the “what matters to you?” approach in health and social care. Watch the recording below.
The conversation took place between:
- Shaun Maher: Strategic Advisor for Person Centred Care and Improvement, Scottish Government and Principal Educator with NHS Scotland (Scotland)
- Anders Vege: Head of Section for Quality Improvement, Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Norway)
- Isabela Castro: Dentist, Patient and Family Partnership Council, Patient and Family Advisory Network Board, Chair of the Council of Patients and families, Honorary Board for Patient Centered Care at International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUa) (Brazil)
- Karen Turner: Physiotherapist and Senior Improvement Adviser, NHS Royal Free Hospital (England)
- Jennifer Rodgers: Deputy Nurse Director, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (Scotland)
Asking the question
The ‘What matters to you?’ question can be asked in many different ways:
- “What are the things that are important to you at the moment?”
- “What are some of the things you would you like to achieve as a result of this support?”
- “When you have a good day, what are the things that make it good?”
Here are a few examples of the sort of things people have told us matters to them.
When you have a conversation about the things that really matter to people, it helps you to do your job more effectively and it helps the person to live the sort of life that is meaningful and fulfilling for them – it’s a win win!