When healthcare “professionals'' listen to the steps people must take to get healthcare services, and what those experiences are actually like, understanding begins. As these stories unfold there’s opportunity for gaining even greater insight into the surprises and the feelings associated with the “patient” journey.

This is what happened for Julie and Chandlee as each took in what patients had to navigate to get necessary care and support. It was eye opening to say the least, and helped everyone see that the current state of much of healthcare service, this “as is” system, is where the worlds of the “patient-person” and the “professional-person” meet. And, often unhappily. But, this first step is crucial for determining what needs changing. Paul extrapolates from Julie’s and Chandlee’s stories to describe the tools and methods that are helpful to regularly discovering and documenting the current state of the system.