“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 […]
peer-to-peer healthcare
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 […]
Case study: Breast cancer
When we get sick or receive a new diagnosis, we often feel alone, but we shouldn’t. There are people who have been in the same situation and are eager to help if they only knew how to find us. That is the case with my friend Meagan. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She […]
Lessons learned about hospice care
A loved one recently went over the cancer waterfall and I dove in after him, keeping his head above water long enough to say goodbye to everyone. It was an intense four weeks of caregiving – two in the hospital and two at home, in hospice. I am sharing one segment of our story to […]
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