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A Taxonomy to Engage Patients: Objectives, Design, and Patient Activation

NEJM Catalyst Title Image

Patients utilize vast amounts of information and technology tools to manage their health. When ill, people often turn to Google to learn about conditions associated with their symptoms. Newly diagnosed patients use online peer-to-peer communities to seek support and information. Patients log on to patient portals to access their lab results, review sections of their electronic health records, and communicate with providers through secure messaging. Wearable devices can be used to track activity and sleep and to monitor vital statistics (e.g., blood glucose) in real time, generating vast amounts of data that can be used to encourage healthful choices and manage certain chronic conditions. In recent years, communities of patients have shaped research agendas by donating their health data and prioritizing research questions that matter to their quality of life.

Read more via the NEJM Catalyst...

A Connected Patient Is a Healthier Patient

To the point blog

Connected patient

Friday, March 1, 2019

By Elena Fagotto and Archon Fung

This post originally appeared on the Commonwealth Fund blog To The Point. 

Today, an abundance of health information about symptoms and treatment options is just a click away by searching Google or visiting sites like the Mayo Clinic’s. Most physicians and hospitals offer online portals through which patients can look up their lab results and medical history, schedule appointments, and sometimes even access their doctors’ clinical notes.

But people aren’t just receiving information; increasingly, they’re generating and sharing health data and knowledge online. And that has the potential to revolutionize our approach to health care.... Read more about A Connected Patient Is a Healthier Patient

Can Transparency and Technology Make Us Healthier?

To the point blog

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

By Elena Fagotto and Archon Fung

This post originally appeared on the Commonwealth Fund blog To The Point. 

There are many factors driving the recent push for greater transparency in health care, from the desire to identify waste and reward high-quality, low-cost care to an attempt to close the information gap between patients and physicians.