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 […]
peer-to-peer healthcare
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 […]
LongCovid’s citizen scientists
Amy Dockser Marcus writes with the sensitivity and precision of a scientist, which is why I was thrilled that she recently turned her attention to the patient-led research being conducted by people with LongCovid, which affects an estimated 10-20% of COVID-19 patients. The Wall Street Journal‘s pay wall may prevent you from reading the full […]
Crazy, crazy, LongCovid, obvious
LongCovid is an extraordinary challenge to the human body. It’s been met with an extraordinary response from the human spirit. As I wrote in a previous post, we are watching patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers move through the stages of peer-to-peer health innovation at a fast clip. Faster than I’ve ever seen in my […]
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