A new video from the End-of-Life Essentials team tells the story of serious illness from a patient’s point of view in the hopes of shedding light on the profound impact healthcare staff can have.

In A Patient’s Perspective, the unnamed patient recounts moments when she felt reduced to her illness, which left her feeling vulnerable and disoriented, and the heartwarming memories she has of medical professionals took the time to genuinely connect with her, seeing her for who she truly is, beyond her diagnosis.

With A Patient’s Perspective, the End-of-Life Essentials (EOLE) Project aims to shed light on the profound moments when healthcare staff authentically connect with their patients. This connection fosters comfort and reaffirms the individuality of each patient, reminding us of the humanity at the heart of healthcare.

End-of-Life Essentials (EOLE) is a National Palliative Care project improving the quality of patient end-of-life care by providing free education and resources for healthcare professionals working in acute hospital settings. EOLE is funded by the Australian Government and delivered by Flinders University.

‘This powerful video authentically captures the patients voice, reminding us never to allow patient-hood to eclipse person-hood. Within the often frightening labyrinth of modern medicine, this message has never been more timely…and one that needs to be heard,’ said Distinguished Professor Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD, FRCPC and Senior Scientist with the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba, Canada.

You can watch the video here.