From the Editor

Your patients are not an obstacle; they provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate both the depth of your skill and the depth of your heart (1)

Two articles in this issue focus on end-of-life experiences and relationships. Peggy Kerr Rosario, PhD, a family caregiver, shares a personal experience to help others learn from the challenges she and her father faced during some of his final days. In “I’ll be back,” we hear from Paul Rousseau, MD, who expresses his gratitude toward a grieving family for helping him through a challenging lesson as a young physician.

I’ve sometimes told the story of the invention of the stethoscope. A young French physician René Laennec was listening to the heart by resting his ear to the chest of his patients when he remembered how sound was carried by a piece of wood when held to the ear and tapped on the other end. He subsequently rolled up a piece of paper and put one end to his ear and another to the chest wall. Thus, the stethoscope was born. The significance of this moment should not be lost on us. This innovation that changed healthcare forever also moved the clinician physically further from the patient. It let us listen without a human touch. For many of us, the clicks and checkboxes and in-boxes are an extension of this physical and figurative movement away from the patient. Yet, as new innovations come along, somehow I am acutely aware that relationships still matter. This journal is part of our commitment to providing meaning and human touch.

However, this is also your journal, so I am encouraging your input as we plan for the future. There is an abundance of research, innovation, and creativity occurring in this field. If Journal of Patient Experience is to truly promote dialogue and provide a voice for patients and providers, your participation is essential. What are your wishes for patient experience or the journal? I am inviting Letters to the Editor for you to share your ideas and thoughts. Visit our submission website (http://jpe.edmgr.com), register as an author, and follow the instructions to submit your letter.

If you prefer to share ideas confidentially, I could address them in an upcoming editorial. Please e-mail [e-mail].

ON THE COVER

“If diabetes had a face, what would it look like?”

Youth ages 4-19 years with Type I diabetes attending routine follow-up appointments within a pediatric specialty clinic were asked to draw: “If diabetes had a face, what would it look like?” Drawings reflected many emotions and ranged from simple to complex in detail. Drawings reflected multiple experiences of living with diabetes including emotions, tools used for management, and effects of self-care [http://jpx.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/06/15/2374373516654771.full.pdf+html].

Adrienne Boissy, MD, MA Editor-in-Chief