Patient advocates playing a key role in mHealth #mHS12

Here at the mHealth Summit, we had a session this morning presented by patient advocates. The speakers were: Donna Cryer, American Liver Foundation, and MaryAnne Sterling, Sterling Health IT Consulting.

The use of mobile technology can empower patients, but these tools can also harm patients if they are not used properly. We heard about that yesterday from Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna. He reminded us that health care delivery needs to get easier, be more convenient and engage patients.

Donna Cryer explained how the American Liver Foundation created an "Innovation Council" to identify ways to educate and empower patients. They identified technology solutions that facilitate Hepatitis C testing, medication adherence, peer support, and more. I love the idea of creating an Innovation Council or some other formal group that will focus on the Process of Innovation.

Wearing a "Walking Gallery" jacket pained by Regina Holliday, MaryAnne Sterling began her presentation telling personal stories about patient care. We can all play a key role in the health care ecosystem to improve care coordination. There are digital tools and resources that patients can use to improve medication management and patient-provider communication.

Sometimes clinicians tend to forget what patients don't know. It's easy to forget that most patients don't understand complex medical terminology. They don't necessarily understand how the health care system works. Which long-term care should they choose? How should they shop for home health services? Can they get their medications for less somewhere else?

2012 mHealth Summit Coverage

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Medicine and Blogging Technology

Blogging has really changed the art of medicine in several ways. First, patients and family members have ways to support each other and learn from each other though patient blogs, advocacy sites, foundations, and other support groups. We've seen sites like CaringBridge provide tremendous support to families in distress. This has really enhanced the ability for patients to access resources and other important tools that can help them and their families as they cope with chronic and serious medical illnesses. Blogging technology really has made a direct impact in the lives of patients.

The other way that blogging has changed the landscape of healthcare is through the blogs written by physicians and other healthcare professionals. Patients now have ways to learn about certain disorders by reading some of the educational content produced by certain clinicians. Also, healthcare providers now have an easier way to stay tuned with current medical events by subscribing to RSS feeds and visiting medical blogs. In some cases, patients also have ways to directly communicate with providers by leaving comments.

Blogging technology continues to evolve as Web 2.0 permeates the healthcare space and more and more doctors are starting to see the value of the blogosphere. Through my blog, I've had the opportunity to interact with patients, students, doctors, nurses, researchers, and others interested in the healthcare industry. It's a fantastic way to build a social network and learn more about the things that you're passionate about. For me, I'm passionate about technology, medicine, public health, and education. This blog has allowed me to share some of my thoughts and it's also allowed me to look at our current healthcare system and see how advances in technology have been changing the world of medicine.