Resources for patients
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Find the latest resources for Canadians living with heart valve disease, from easy-to-understand guides to tools.
Shared decision making
People diagnosed with heart valve disease are often confronted with a wide range of treatment options. Shared decision-making involves doctors and patients working together to choose the most suitable treatment, based on the patient’s preferences and goals as well as clinical evidence and the care team’s expertise. These resources aim to support people with heart valve disease in participating in decision-making about their care.
Get the shared-decision making guide
Empower yourself with our webinar on shared decision making
You’ve got heart valve disease; what now? The best care plan is the one that fits your circumstances, including age, lifestyle, goals and values. That’s where shared decision making comes in — working with your healthcare team to determine the best path forward. This patient-centred webinar from Global Heart Hub and Heart Valve Voice Canada shows you how to collaborate in decisions around your treatment.
7 Steps to Becoming an Empowered Patient
Feeling empowered can give you strength and control over your life so that you can make the best decisions for your health. The 7 Steps to Becoming an Empowered Patient, developed by the Mended Hearts®, defines and explains each step. This resource will guide you to make the best decisions for yourself.
Symptom Tracker
Our symptom tracker has been developed to help people who think they may have heart valve disease, or other cardiac conditions, prior to or during consultation periods with their doctor. It captures symptoms to help you and your doctor understand your health and assist with diagnosis and ongoing care planning.
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Initial Consultation Guide
This guide will help you prepare for an appointment with your doctor and support an efficient, informative, and helpful consultation. It outlines the types of questions your doctor may ask you during the consultation, as well as questions you'll want to consider asking.
Virtual Appointment Guide
This resource will help guide you through a remote appointment with your doctor or care team. Download this Virtual Appointment Guide so that you can be prepared to ask and answer important questions regarding your health.
Newsletters
Access the most recent Heart Valve Voice Canada newsletters for patient stories, news and health tips.
September 2024 - Shared decision making; free stethoscope checks
June 2024 - Mitral valve disease; emotional health tips
April 2024 - Recovering from valve surgery; fitness tips
February 2024 - On Feb. 22, let’s shine a light on valve disease
November 2023 - Take care of your heart this holiday
October 2023 - Living well with heart valve disease
Canadian Cardiac Centres
Find your nearest cardiac centre.
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Find your nearest cardiac centre. These clinics provide checkups, testing, treatment, and support for people living with heart valve disease who have been referred to their care.
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Research and reports
Read thought leadership commentary on the realities of those living with heart valve disease, highlighting the unmet patient needs, the optimal care pathway, and best possible patient outcomes.
Heart Valve Disease: Working together to create a better patient journey
The report Heart Valve Disease: Working together to create a better patient journey commissioned by Heart Valve Voice Canada and written by The Health Policy Partnership provides a comprehensive view of the entire heart valve disease patient journey from first detection to diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment, identifying gaps and their impacts. This report was developed under the guidance of a multidisciplinary advisory council, whose members included people with lived experience and healthcare professionals engaged in heart valve disease in Canada. The patient perspective was the common thread throughout this report.
Research spotlight: Good news on non-surgical valve replacement
Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been in use for more than 20 years. So what have we learned about its outcomes, compared to open-heart valve replacement surgery? A review of clinical trials shows excellent results and allays concerns that the prosthetic valves used in TAVI could be less durable than those used in surgery.
Heart Valve Disease in Canada: Recommended Components for a National Strategy
The Institute for Health Economics (IHE) has published a report which provides the results of a national roundtable convened in November 2021 to identify the necessary components for a national strategy to address heart valve disease. Heart Valve Disease is on the rise, affecting millions of people worldwide. It can be fatal if untreated but is increasingly treatable with early detection.
Paving the way: a roadmap to the successful implementation of shared decision-making in heart valve disease
This global roadmap, to which Heart Valve Voice Canada is a contributor, is designed to support patient organizations and advocates who wish to implement shared decision-making for people facing heart valve disease treatment options.
Global Heart Hub International Roundtable Discussion on Late, Missed and Misdiagnosis of Heart Disease in Women
This report summarises the outcomes of the roundtable discussions, laying the foundations for future advocacy work. Heart Valve Voice Canada was honoured to be a contributor to this important discussion.
