The Patient Experience Awards were established by Health Quality Alberta and its Patient and Family Advisory Committee to recognize and spread knowledge about initiatives that improve the patient’s overall experience in accessing and receiving healthcare services.
Up to four initiatives are recognized annually. Read about the 2026 award recipients here.
How do I apply for the award?
The call for submissions to the 2027 awards opens in October 2026.
Applications will be accepted online from October 1 to November 16, 2026. The application form will be available on this page.
The submission process occurs in two parts, described below.
Part A requires:
- a 500-word summary explaining how the initiative positively impacted specific element(s) of patient experience
- two statements of support from patients or family members who experienced care through your program that describe how the initiative delivered positive patient experience
Part B, for those who are shortlisted, involves a 2,000-word detailed summary of the initiative.
Interested in learning more about the awards? Contact us at info@hqa.ca with any questions.
Who can apply or be nominated?
Any team in Alberta involved in designing and implementing an initiative that promotes a positive patient experience for Albertans in accessing or receiving healthcare services.
A successful applicant:
- Has some evidence from the patient perspective that something needed to be changed or improved.
- Engages patients and/or their family members in the process to improve (including the evaluation).
- Can show how their patients’ and their families’ experiences have been positively impacted by this approach or initiative. Different forms of evidence are accepted, from metrics to anecdotal lived experience.
What types of initiatives qualify?
Initiatives that have been implemented in any publicly funded healthcare setting including, but not only: primary care, acute care, home care, transitions in care, and continuing care. The initiatives that will be considered must show how they have made a positive impact on the patient experience from the perspective of patients themselves.