Cultivating a Deeper Understanding of Culturally Relevant Care
“He was very connected to the land and his culture…we were worried that he would not have access to his sacred items in the hospital, but we were wrong…The maintenance person, Chris, would shut off the fire alarm in his room for a few minutes every morning and evening to allow him to smudge.”
Joe Old Woman grew up on the flats of the Siksika Nation. In their digital story “O’tsisina - Joe’s Family Story”, his family talks of how their community partnered with the Bassano Healthcare Centre to provide culturally relevant care for Joe during his critical time in hospital.
The Alberta Health Services Patient Experience Program worked with Dr. Mike Lang to develop an open-source Patient Experience 101 eLearning Module that integrates O’tsisina - Joe’s Family Story. The module uses a third-person approach that documents two individuals as they watch the digital story and reflect on key moments that resonate. The platform then asks a series of questions that ask the viewer to engage with the course content through personal reflection.
By pairing digital storytelling with reflective conversation, the eLearning module aims to integrate empathetic learning with the pillars of Patient Experience Excellence. This learning structure gives healthcare providers the opportunity to cultivate a deeper understanding of the human health experience that will lead to practical wisdom and increased value for patients.
Visit Patient + Family Storytelling to see how Alberta Health Services integrates digital stories into their healthcare quality improvement program.
