Your Story. Your Voice. Be Heard.
Cynthia Lockrey shares her insights and experience as a patient advocate and her patient advocacy work. Blog posts include topics such as patient storytelling, working with healthcare professionals and advocating for children.
Active listening isn’t about waiting for a chance to speak but rather truly hearing what the other person is saying. It’s a skill that needs to be learned and fine-tuned, but can strength your relationships.
Read MoreI’m pretty excited about a new way of patient engagement. Patients partnering with patients. This goes beyond the checkboxes and silos, traditional ways of including patients (sometimes seen as token gestures). It’s about patients owning the experience and amplifying the voices of others.
Read MoreOne of my pet peeves is people who are always talking about how busy they are. We live in a fast paced world and are all juggling multiple balls. Saying you are busy puts up barriers. Let’s find a way to change the conversation to remove these barriers.
Read MoreWhile it may be a release to scream and shout, it’s the quickest way to shut down a conversation. By practicing kindness you can break down barriers, build relationships and get the results you need. Learn how to practice kindness when advocating for yourself or loved ones.
Read MoreBeing a patient volunteer can be rewarding, but it can also be extremely frustrating. Especially when you feel you are filling a token seat versus being an equal partner. It’s time to go beyond token patient engagement and look at patient volunteers as valued and equal partners in transforming healthcare.
Read MoreIt has taken me years to learn I’m an empath, and that my response to human interactions is completely normal. This new knowledge has helped me in my advocacy work. But I’ve also had to learn how not to take on the emotions of those I’m helping.
Read MoreThere are many times when we can share our patient advocacy skills to help others navigate a difficult journey. By listening, helping people formulate their thoughts and being there as a sounding board, it can be the difference between struggling and feeling supported.
Read MoreWhat motivates patients to volunteer? It’s not prestige or money but the desire to either right a wrong or improve the healthcare system by seeing the world from a patient’s perspective. If we truly want to have a variety of patient voices heard, we need to do the work to ensure any barriers to participation are removed and we value their voices.
Read MoreAs parents, we often hold back from sharing when we are struggling or feeling overwhelmed. But guess what? You aren’t alone. By opening up, you can tap into the amazing support from other parents who have been where you are and have great insights to share.
Read MoreWith a new year comes new opportunities to connect with others, gain confidence and have your patient voice heard. Here are some tips to help you in the coming year.
Read MoreAmplifying patient voices to transform healthcare.
