Patient and Family Experience Strategy

The challenges facing patients, families and the health system are many. Together, these challenges created an opportunity to re-imagine the patient and family experience at SickKids with the creation of the organization’s newest Patient and Family Experience Strategy. Designed with input from patients, families, staff and the community, this strategy will be a blueprint for a more human-centred experience across care, research and education at SickKids.

A young man in a hospital hallway holding colourful Bravery Beads in his hands.

Our patient and family experience strategy map

Slide the pink slider across the image to see what the strategy means to SickKids’ Children’s Council!

Our strategic directions

Strive for exemplary child, youth and family centred services

  • Ingrain a child, youth and family focus in our leadership and culture
  • Exemplify compassionate service excellence and collaborative decision making
  • Ensure consistent communication and coordination across services

Support families being families and kids being kids

  • Infuse play, togetherness and social interaction
  • Scale access to child and family support programs and services
  • Expand family and caregiver wellness supports

Embed partnership in all we do

  • Establish an enterprise-wide approach to engagement that centres child, youth, family and community knowledge and lived experiences in designing the future of SickKids

Foster healing digital and physical spaces

  • Ensure culturally safe, accessible, welcoming and comfortable campus spaces and amenities
  • Create a seamless digital experience

Establish an experience improvement loop

  • Continually capture child, youth, family and community voices to inform improvement
  • Refine the structure and processes accountable for assessing, prioritizing and actioning opportunities

Behind the kids’ voice

The Patient and Family Experience Strategy was designed with input from Children’s Council members, an advisory group consisting of patients and siblings who work together to make SickKids a better place.