PAGE 25
There’s an App for That…Or There Should Be:Utilizing Technology for Better Health Outcomes Health literacy has always been a passion project of mine ever since I was diagnosed with cancer . I stand by the notion that plain language and clear communication leads to better health outcomes . However , communicating with our care team isn ’ t always easy . How many of us have gone into an appointment only to leave the office 10 minutes later , wondering what happened and what our copay went to ? Were all of our issues and questions addressed ?
This is where we have to come in as advocates for our own health , and below are a few ways to do this :
Write down a list of questions you want addressed prior to the appointment
Try to focus on one ailment per appointment
If something doesn ’ t make sense , ask for the information to be explained in another way
Ask questions – you ' re the expert of your body and health
How do we keep track of all of this information , though ? There are patient portals that keep track of our appointments and records , but those can often be hard to navigate , and they lack the capability of being able to enter our own information ( i . e . about how we ’ re feeling ). Additionally , different health systems have different portals , leading not only to lost passwords , but a missed opportunity for integrated healthcare . This is essentially senseless for cancer patients who have to keep track of multiple appointments and medications , all while trying to keep afloat in a system that wasn ’ t built for patients and their caregivers . However , there ’ s a role technology can play here . I ’ ve heard of patients carrying around large binders of their records from appointment to appointment . But if we ’ re being honest , I don ’ t believe a physician or other member of a patient ’ s care team is going to take the time to go through it . Instead , utilizing the power of the device that we ’ re constantly carrying around and looking at may be the way to go ( in addition to a smaller folder or journal for those that are comfortable with paper ).
If we think about it , there ’ s an app for everything , and having an app to keep track of our cancer journey should be no different .
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator