“I get tired. I get overwhelmed. I get discouraged. I get disengaged. I get disheartened.”* I recently stumbled onto a series of posts online written by dedicated, accomplished patient advocates (including the one quoted above) describing their frustrations and, in some cases, their withdrawal from activism. In today’s shorthand, we’d say they’re suffering from burnout. […]
When it comes to engaging patients, healthcare should take a cue from consumer-facing industries. Why? Patients are consumers. We’ve begun to see a major shift in the healthcare landscape. In the age of Google, patient communities and advocacy organizations, patients are increasingly empowered to take charge of their own health and be the CEO of their […]
All I knew was that something was seriously wrong with me. I had been experiencing blurred vision and intense headaches for quite some time, so I went to the Emergency Department to get checked out. I knew my blood pressure was high, but wasn’t sure if that was causing my headaches and vision problems. Part […]