Bringing the Patient Voice into Nursing Education: Sharing First-hand Healthcare Experiences at HKU

On 30 October, Samuel and Terry, Co-founders of the Hong Kong Health and Social Care Foundation, were invited to the School of Nursing at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to deliver a sharing session entitled “A Survivor’s Perspective on Hong Kong’s Healthcare System”, where they shared their first-hand experiences and reflections as a cancer survivor and a patient navigating Hong Kong’s healthcare system.

Samuel is a lung cancer survivor. Although his surgery was successful, he came to realise that completing treatment does not mark the end of a patient’s journey. From physical recovery and emotional adjustment to returning to family life, work and everyday routines, life after treatment presents its own set of challenges.

Terry has lived with Pompe disease, a rare disease, for decades. His journey has given him first-hand experience of the challenges faced by rare disease patients, including treatment options, access to medicines and long-term disease management. For patients, the impact of illness often extends far beyond physical health, affecting their families, daily lives and plans for the future.

The session went beyond discussions of disease and treatment. More importantly, it offered future nurses an opportunity to understand the person behind the patient. A willingness to listen, words that make a patient feel understood, and appropriate support during moments of uncertainty can all make a meaningful difference throughout a patient’s healthcare journey.

The Hong Kong Health and Social Care Foundation sincerely thanks the HKU School of Nursing for providing this valuable opportunity for patients’ authentic voices to become part of nursing education. We believe that patient-centred care is not only about treating disease, but also about understanding the life of each individual beyond their diagnosis.

Through continued efforts in patient education, professional exchange and public advocacy, the Foundation hopes to ensure that patient experiences can help inform improvements in healthcare services, while contributing to a more compassionate and truly people-centred healthcare environment.