In this talk at the Quantified Self Public Health symposium, I argue that we must respect the context of people’s lives while designing health interventions, tools, and research projects. Not everyone is ready to stand naked in front of the bright light of numbers on a screen. Let’s be gentle in our approach, especially to […]
caregivers
Secret questions, naked truths
My prepared remarks for the Quantified Self Public Health Symposium (here are some notes from the event): You know when you type the first few words of a query and Google suggests the rest based on what thousands of other people have typed next? There’s a Twitter account called Google Poetics that takes those suggested phrases […]
3 home health care hacks
I recently spent an afternoon with a dear relative who is being treated for cancer. Her medication regimen is so complicated that my mom, an experienced caregiver, visits her daily to help sort all the different pills into all the various boxes (and make sure they get swallowed). They showed off three health care hacks […]
Hacking home health care
We need to fix the “solved problems” crisis in home health care. Let me explain. At the start of Health Foo* in December, everyone introduced themselves in 6 words or less. Row by row, person by person, 100+ people talked in turn. In the back row, nearly the last to speak, Laura Baldwin stood and […]
“What drugs is mom on?”
Here are quotes from two excellent essays about being an empowered caregiver. First, from Muriel Gillick, MD: In those care planning meetings in the nursing home, if they ask nothing else, family members should ask “what drugs is mom on?” And that should be followed by “why is she on them?” and “are they helping?” […]
Help the helpers
Please join me in honoring and learning from caregivers, first by watching Sarah Kucharski’s powerful, personal story: Second, watch my talk about the bigger picture and how people can help: http://www.viddler.com/v/14c53db8 Now: what’s your story? What roles do you see for caregivers in health care or in your own life? Please share your thoughts in […]
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