e-Patient Dave

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Guess who else is saying what HE wants: Don Berwick

Boy, social media is amazing. This just happened on Facebook.

(And, later tonight someone pointed out that it’s a 2005 article based on a 2003 speech! So I edited this post. For some reason people are circulating it again.)

An amazing development in my RFP quest, first pointed out yesterday by Nick Dawson; the link was shared by Giovanna Marsico from Paris:

I had no idea that Don Berwick, head of the IHI, has published in 2005 what HE wants from providers for an upcoming surgery, like I did! Except his is in the Annals of Internal Medicine http://www.annals.org/content/142/2/121.abstract.

Look what he says in the abstract: [Read more…]

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I’ve started an RFP for my skin cancer

RFP thumbnail (click to visit the document)

Be sure to scan the 57 comments readers added, below.

The other day I announced my new skin cancer diagnosis and discussed how I’ll blog my approach to it as an e-patient.

I’ve decided to explore my options by doing what companies do when they’re shopping for a solution: they write a Request for Proposals, and let vendors reply. But in this case what I published isn’t cast in stone – I invite discussion and suggestions. And, significantly, I start with the context: partnership; participatory medicine –

I’m approaching this through an RFP process because I believe in “participatory medicine,” in which patients play an active and responsible role in all aspects of healthcare. I believe patients should play an active role in making care more cost-effective and patient-centered, by being responsible about costs and by saying what they want.

 

Here’s the RFP, in Google Docs. At top right of that page there’s a place to leave comments, or discuss here. Thanks for helping!

Update: This triggered an enormous amount of discussion on social media, additional posts here (with the results of my shopping), and even an article four years later in the New York Times, which I posted about with additional thoughts and resources. [Read more…]

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Ask the Patient feature, on QuantiaMD

QuantiaMD screen captureI was thrilled to be engaged by clinician network QuantiaMD to do an “Ask the Patient” feature. (I get a small stipend.) It’s live, and available for public viewing. Free registration is required to view their videos; you can preview the first minute or so of each one without registering.

We often talk (here and on e-patients.net) about patient social networks and how they help spread ideas and information. Well I’ll be darned, it turns out doctors and nurses are doin’ it too, with similar benefits. Who knew? :-) And you know I was thrilled that they’ve added a new feature, “Ask the Patient.” Here’s hoping every clinician community does the same. Let Patients Help!

It works like this:

[Read more…]

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Links from the e-Patient Boot Camp

The last ones still here for the belated class photo: host Shwen of Edelman, @TiffanyAndLupis, Siet, Jay @J_Nagy, Christine @bydls, @ePatientDave, Allison @AMBlass, and Jeff

This page contains links to content discussed in the e-Patient Boot Camp today.

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Let Patients Help, Cost-Cutting Edition, part 2: Shingles vaccine

Corrections added Jan 10 as noted. See sections marked “Update 1/10”. See also my comment tonight on today’s disgusting experience of trying to sort this out, and our ultimate rescue.

Two months ago I posted Let Patients Help, Cost-Cutting Edition, part 1: a bill:

I often hear about how patients are a major part of the cost problem – their “non-compliance,” their wanting everything they can get, wanting it for free, etc.  So, let’s see what happens when a patient who wants to help cut costs gives it a try. …

In that case I tried to fathom a so-called “Explanation” of Benefits, which was in fact unfathomable. (The FTC forced cigarette makers to be truthful in labeling; can’t they force insurers to stop using “explanation” on something nobody understands?)

This time my wife and I are shopping for vaccines. Specifically, shingles. And trying to be a responsible consumer turned out not to be easy.

[Read more…]

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I’m singing again – for the first time in years!

In the past couple of years I’ve gotten used to being on stage, but this July I’ll be doing it in a different way: for the first time in three years, I’ll be on stage singing, with my buddies in a choral competition: the World Choir Games, in Cincinnati.

So tonight, for the first time in three years, I stood on the risers and sang.

Longtime readers know singing used to be a big part of my life. I sang in school and college, and ten years ago I joined the Nashua Granite Statesmen, a men’s barbershop chorus. (Lots of people have heard of barbershop quartets, but not many know we do it in choruses too!)

For years they (we!) were the perennial New England champion and would go to international competitions. I’m no soloist but because of this great group I got to compete at internationals in Montreal, Indianapolis and Nashville.

At my diagnosis, five years ago this month, I asked Dr. Sands if I should stop singing to conserve energy, and he told me no – it’s not good to drop life activities that you love. (It seems I’d, um, talked about it a bit…)

[Read more…]