Bob Hall was recovering from yet another surgery in March 2014 when a volunteer walked into his hospital room. It had been a rocky recovery since his lung transplant three months earlier at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. The volunteer wasn’t there to check on his lungs or breathing. Instead, […]
Recent efforts to understand and mitigate diagnostic error fully acknowledge the importance of patients and families as sources of information and feedback. While recognition is progress, patients and families are still not routinely consulted in diagnostic error research or in practice for the information that they alone can offer. A study published in Health Affairs represents […]
People write for different reasons: to examine experience, sharpen thinking, share lessons learned, advocate for others, and inspire action. In all cases, writing engages us in reflection and offers a way to engage with others. Health care social networks, like Inspire and Mayo Clinic Connect, encourage patients and caregivers to use writing and other media to engage by reflecting […]