A wealth of MUHC initiatives, creating knowledge for patients

The MUHC has created a wealth of initiatives to help patients understand illness and manage their care. The materials include "Living with a tracheostomy", a DVD produced by the MUHC Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, and the interactive breast cancer guide, available online at http://patienteducation.muhc.ca/. Patients themselves are also a key element in providing knowledge, as the My Toolbox program shows. The videos on this page demonstrate these initiatives, and the links below lead to many other guides designed for patients and their families.

The cancer challenge, graphically illustrated

"What we are trying to do is get rid of the words and do as much as we possibly can with pictures. I think this really is going to open up a whole new world to patients in terms of teaching and understanding the process that they will go through." – Dr. David Fleiszer, Director, MUHC Education Portfolio.

Cancer treatment isn't just medical treatment, isn't just surgery, radiation, chemotherapy - it's also the support that patients need" – Dr. Armen Aprikian, Director, MUHC Cancer Care mission.    .. Link to Patient Education Guide

Visual tools empower the patient

"We often try and explain procedures to patients in a void. We try and explain post-operative care using our hands, pointing and so forth to various structures in our neck and they may not feel comfortable coming back to us and saying 'I don't really understand what you are saying - can you explain it differently to me?' Having a visual tool is so powerful." – Dr. Karen Kost, Director, MUHC Voice Laboratory   .. Link to ENT Department (Surgery)

Self-management is the key to taking charge

"When you work in a healthcare setting every day, you really notice the need that people have for additional support" Dr. Deborah Radcliffe-Branch, Director of the "My Toolbox" program

“Self-management is key to taking charge of one’s illness” - Expert Patient and My Toolbox Mediator, Cathy Camozzi  .. Link to My Toolbox (McGill)

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