Most stakeholders in biomedical innovation – scientists, clinicians, patients, caregivers, funders, regulators – recognize each other as allies in the fight against disease. But they often lack shared principles and practices to guide the work they do together. For example, a research organization may say they value patient input, but they do not recognize their […]
Champions
Wow! How? “Breaking Brad”
The latest in my series of stories that hopefully make you say, “Wow! How did they come up with that?” Bradley Burnam loved his job as a medical device sales rep because, as he puts it, he got to play doctor: wear scrubs, visit hospitals, and work with patients. But during one site visit he […]
The Black Panther Party’s Health Innovations
Here is the 40th in my series of “Wow! How? Health” stories, also shared on LinkedIn if you want to follow the conversation on that platform. In 1971, the Black Panther Party diagnosed the federal government’s failure to study sickle cell anemia, a genetic disease believed at the time to be found predominately in people […]
Rebel Health on The Nocturnists
Today is the one-year anniversary of the publication of my book, Rebel Health. To celebrate, I am inviting you to listen to my favorite conversation about why I wrote it and what lessons we can all draw from the patient-led revolution. Emily Silverman, MD, is the host of The Nocturnists. She suggested that I start […]
Wow! How? Patient-led Design
Michael Graves, the renowned architect and designer, was hospitalized in 2003 when a sinus infection spread to his spinal cord, a very rare occurrence. He survived but was paralyzed from the chest down. As he moved among hospitals and rehabilitation centers, Graves was struck by how the patient rooms and furniture were not only ugly, but […]
Wow! How? Social Support Matters
Most people, at the time of their diagnosis with a sleep disorder, do not know a single other person with the same condition. Yet peer support is an effective aid to this group, just as it has been shown to help people navigating pregnancy, living with diabetes, recovering from organ transplant, and managing many other […]
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