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I was interviewed for the March issue of MM&M, a medical industry marketing magazine. The title they chose is “Visitor from the future.” Indeed – but this time traveler has millions of cousins.
As our country (and world) plan the next generation of healthcare, I urge people to look at what e-patients are doing – and use it as a lever, to improve care and economic efficiency. Heaven knows we could use it.
The article arose from a talk at the ePharma Summit in February. I was the guest of Klick Marketing, a Toronto company that develops superb web sites for consumer engagement, including patient engagement sites for drug companies. I spoke as the “voice of the patient,” within a keynote by Klick’s Brian O’Donnell about engaging with activated patients.
I wanted to make clear that although it seems futuristic, it’s real today. So the first words out of my mouth were “I’m here as a specimen from the future.” MM&M editor-in-chief Jim Chase was there , and this interview resulted.
Truly and literally, that future is here. The article cites that ACOR (my patient community) reaches 1.5 million patients a week, and that’s just one e-patient site; there are many more. (The Society for Participatory Medicine hopes to publish a list this year, to help people find peers.)
Smart planners and policy people realize this future is present. Activated, engaged patients use every tool at their disposal – the only thing limiting the number of e-patients is public awareness. When people realize what patients can do, and then disease hits, bam: instant ‘e.’
How ironic: Washington is spending tens of billions of stimulus money encouraging physicians to adopt health IT, and observers still wonder whether they’ll do it: “What’s in it for them?” Believe me, patients don’t need persuading. Just give us valuable tools. (That’s why I like what Klick does.) The only requirement is “patients first” – at October’s e-Patient Connections conference, magnificent diabetes blogger Kerri Sparling (SixUntilMe) said it perfectly: “Keeping me alive should be your priority – not selling to me.“
E-patients are here – empowered, engaged, equipped, enabled, educated. And motivated. Government, industry, everyone – please partner with us. It’s the participatory thing to do.
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My speech was similar to October’s “Engage Authentically.” Here’s video, courtesy of Kru Research, producer of the conference. (For other videos see our Speaking page.)
Part 1:
Part 2:
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