Champions help take a scrappy patient-led idea to scale. They give Seekers, Networkers, and Solvers access to resources held by mainstream institutions such as funding, media attention, regulatory guidance, or access to labs and manufacturing facilities. Champions fast-track innovations. This is the fourth post in a series that I’m writing to introduce the archetypes of […]
MIT Press
Solvers attack problems
Solvers identify challenges, then test and develop new concepts, code, and inventions to meet their needs. They work on a problem with a singular focus because their life – or the life of a loved one – often depends on their ability to find or invent a solution. Some Solvers openly share their designs online for […]
Networkers pool resources
“You are not alone.” People who are newly diagnosed or facing a health challenge long to hear those words. Connection is an antidote to suffering and confusion. When they are able to tap into peer-to-peer networks of patients and caregivers, Networkers learn in community about their condition, shrug off the burdens of isolation and shame, then urge […]
Seekers go out on the hunt
As I’ve shared in previous posts, I’m writing a book for MIT Press about the key role that peer health advice plays at every level of our health care system. The people I’m describing in my book do not wait to be invited to create opportunities for positive change. They seize opportunities to take action. They reject […]
Lisa Suennen adds a dash of salt
My friend Lisa Suennen, aka @VentureValkyrie, wrote a thought-provoking response to the framework I shared a few weeks ago. She says she’s adding a cynical point of view. I’d say she’s adding much-needed salt. The whole post is worth your time to read, so please do click through. Here’s an appetizer: “Susannah asked for feedback […]
Whose needs are not met?
For years I tried to find ways to explain the particular challenges facing people with undiagnosed and rare health conditions. I decided to create a visualization showing the wide spectrum of people’s health needs and I’d like some feedback on it. Imagine a horizontal line. At the far left side are the people whose needs […]
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