A WYPIT should tell clinicians things along the lines of “What I wish you [The BMJ’s audience] knew, and why.”, with learning that clinicians can take from your experience.

Who can write for us?
Anyone using healthcare services in any country , either on their own, or as a carer for someone else is welcome to write for us. As we want to ensure we capture a variety of stories and perspectives we prioritise pieces from those who are not health professionals to avoid too many ‘doctor as patient’ stories.

What topics are covered?
Articles can be about any aspect of patient or carer experiences. This might include what it is like for you to live with your condition or as a carer or  your experience of an appointment or procedure. This might be in relation to a single healthcare appointment to those from a lifetime of managing a long term health condition. It is important for the piece to include lessons for doctors.

What these articles are not
- Complaints about or praise of a named healthcare professional or clinic/hospital
- Exploration / Reflections of Legal cases
- Written on behalf of someone else (for example, a carer must write about being a carer, not what they suspect it is like to be the patient)
- Promotion of a particular treatment or style that other healthcare professionals cannot access/emulate; or
- Aimed at other patients.


If you need help in any way with this please contact our patient editor, Emma Doble (edoble@bmj.com).