Why the patient voice matters when things go wrong

Summary

Risa Mallory is a retired psychotherapist from Canada. After a serious cardiovascular event in 2018 she became a patient advocate, collaborating with organisations across the globe. 

In this blog, Risa describes why patient involvement is critical when things go wrong in healthcare.

Content

When something goes wrong in healthcare, it doesn’t just show up as a note in a chart or an item on a safety report. It becomes part of your life. It stays with you. I know this because I’ve lived it — the fear, the confusion, the “what ifs,” and the feeling that the system moved on long before I did. That’s exactly why the patient voice matters so much when care breaks down. We’re the ones who feel the impact the deepest and see the full picture in ways no one else can.

Patients notice things others might miss: a symptom that doesn’t fit, a rushed conversation, a moment where something feels “off,” or a handover where important details don’t quite make it through. When things go wrong, those little moments often turn out to be the clues to what really happened. Our lived experience isn’t just a story, it’s information that can help prevent the same mistake from happening to someone else.

Being heard after something goes wrong also helps rebuild trust. When you’re harmed or let down, you don’t want canned explanations or polished apologies. You want honesty. You want someone to sit with you, listen, and genuinely care about how the experience affected you. Involving patients in the review process — not just as a formality, but as real partners — shows that the system is willing to learn, not hide. It helps turn a painful event into something meaningful, something that can actually lead to change.

And that’s another reason our voices matter: we bring urgency and humanity. Data can point out patterns, but stories make people pay attention. When a patient says, “This almost cost me my life” or “This made me afraid to seek care again”, it cuts through the noise. It reminds everyone why safety work exists in the first place. It puts real faces and real consequences behind policies, checklists, and meetings.

Patients also help identify problems that don’t show up in numbers — feeling dismissed, not being believed, cultural barriers, confusing instructions, or the stress of trying to navigate care when you’re scared and unwell. These are things that only come to light when someone shares what it was actually like to be on the receiving end.

But maybe the most important reason our voices matter is this: harm is personal. It affects our families, our confidence, and our future. When healthcare organisations truly listen and act, it honours that experience. It shows that what happened to us matters and that they’re committed to making things safer for the next person.

Share your insights

Have you had an experience as a patient, family member or healthcare professional that highlights the importance of the patient voice? Comment below (sign up for free first), or get in touch with the team to share your story at [email protected].  

More blogs by Risa

• The power of being heard in healthcare

• When lived experience is embedded at every stage of research

• Women’s heart health - a patient safety priority

About the Author

Risa Mallory, a retired psychotherapist from Canada, became an advocate for patient healthcare following a serious cardiovascular event in 2018. Through her collaboration with local, national, and international healthcare organisations and institutions, she contributes the perspectives, priorities, and feedback of patients to healthcare decision-making at all levels, from individual care to organisational policymaking. She firmly believes that knowledge is power and that every individual can impact their health, and the health of their communities, through increased literacy, open dialogue, and advocacy.