Update Coming Spring 2018!

Never, Sometimes, Usually, Always is an anthology of stories that aims to promote healthcare literacy through caregiver and patient narrative responses to HCAHPS survey questions.

WE ARE SEEKING Creative written responses to questions in the HCAHPS Survey instrument.

WE ASK WRITERS TO choose a question, think about their career and/or experience utilizing the American health care system. Don't worry so much about "hospital" as the venue that the question suggests. Write to the question as a prompt, with the goal of health literacy in mind, but also your own emotive experience. The goal is not, as it never is, to display the perfect side to your care. Many of the most impactful responses to these questions will likely be stories about when you could not deliver the care you wanted to, or when a clinician did not give you the care you wanted. Your response should not be a criticisim of HCAHPS, or of the business of patient experience, as much as a story that highlights your work/receipt of care under the shadow of these questions and all they determine in our health care system these days.

WE ASK THAT WRITERS have experience with the American healthcare system, most preferable hospital healthcare. We accept stories from all clinicians whose care applies to the questions in the HCAHPS survey, as well as from patients or families of patients who have received care. Experience filling out the HCAHPS survey is a plus, but not required.

GUIDELINES Non-fiction & poetry welcome. 1,000 to 2,500 words. Form and structure are up to you. Email submissions as a .doc file attachment to the_bedside.org [at] gmail.com with author name and "Never, Sometimes, Usually, Always" in the subject line. New, original work only. No simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions are welcome, but understand we reserve the right to accept only one submitted work.

Deadline: Closed and in review

FOR SOME INSPIRATION, @The_Bedside founder, Amanda Anderson, wrote her story on the HCAHPS question, "During this hospital stay, after you pressed the call button, how often did you get help as soon as you wanted it?" for the American Journal of Nursing. And/or check out the HCAHPS website.