Visit the Ontario Health website and Complete Your Symptoms Matter.
Your Symptoms Matter
Your Symptoms Matter is an assessment tool used by your health care team. It helps them to monitor and manage your symptoms more effectively.
All patients visiting the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre for an appointment are required to complete Your Symptoms Matter up to one day before their visit.
The results will help your health care team learn more about your symptoms so that they can decide on the best way to manage them.
Your information will be used by Cancer Care Ontario and your health care team to assess the 9 most common symptoms that cancer patients go through, namely:
- Pain
- Tiredness
- Nausea
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Drowsiness
- Change in appetite
- Well-being
- Shortness of breath
Your information is kept confidential. It is stored in your electronic medical record.
For more information, you can watch a video on Improving Symptom Management from Cancer Care Ontario.
Why you should complete Your Symptoms Matter
Completing Your Symptoms Matter can help you and your health care team to:
- Observe and treat symptoms early
- Talk about symptoms that matter to you
- Decide on the best treatment to manage your symptoms
How to complete Your Symptoms Matter
We recommend that all patients complete the Your Symptoms Matter assessment up to one day before their in-person or virtual appointment. You can do so at home using any personal electronic device to visit the website: Your Symptoms Matter - Start (cancercare.on.ca). If you prefer, you can use the Your Symptoms Matter kiosks available throughout the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre. You can also report your symptoms by scanning the Quick Response codes that are available in the clinic reception and in the patient waiting area.
Your report will be checked and reviewed during your appointment.
1. At Home
To complete the Your Symptoms Matter tool, you can visit the Ontario Health website.
- Type in your Ontario Health Card Number and click “Start”
- Select the hospital that your clinic appointment is at and press “Next”
- Answer the questions and click “Continue”
2. At the Hospital
You can choose to report your symptoms by using the Your Symptoms Matter kiosks or iPads provided at the hospital. Please ask your clinic staff if you have trouble locating the kiosks.
You can also complete the Your Symptoms Matter tool by scanning the Quick Response (QR) codes which are available at the clinic receptions and in the patient waiting area. Please ask your clinic staff if you have trouble locating the QR codes.
How to manage your symptoms
If you have cancer you may experience side effects from your treatment. You might also experience symptoms from the cancer itself. Knowing how to recognize symptoms and side effects, and ways to manage them at home and when to call the doctor will help you in maintaining your health and well-being.
If you are interested in learning more about how to manage your cancer symptoms, visit this link: Cancer Care Ontario.
