The internet gives us access not only to information, but also to each other. That deceptively simple insight, gained from years of research, contains so much of the hope I have for the future of health and health care. When we get sick or receive a new diagnosis, we often feel alone, but we shouldn’t. […]
peer-to-peer healthcare
“His doctors were stumped. Then he took over.”
How might we empower people to participate in research about their own diseases or conditions? Which models work best for organizations solving medical mysteries or improving care for those living with rare conditions? These are two of the questions raised by a New York Times story today: “His doctors were stumped. Then he took over,” by Katie Thomas […]
Documents of controversial times
I’m speaking today at Stanford Medicine X about what I’ve learned exploring the intersection between the Maker movement and health care (tune in at 4:25pm Pacific). I posted a short version of my remarks on Medium, but I thought I’d post an image I was very happy to find to illustrate one theme: revolutions happen when people are […]
Slow down
Juhan Sonin and his team at Involution Studios capture essential health messages in cards — actual, physical cards that you can stack in a deck or lay out across a table. The front is an arresting image and the back lists evidence and tips. The cards are tactile, delightful artifacts of an ongoing conversation that Invo […]
Find your people
Longtime readers will recognize this story, but I’m posting it again here–and on Medium–to honor Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day: When Burt Minow was born in 1922, his disability — partial hearing loss and complete facial paralysis—was immediately apparent. His mouth was frozen in a sort of frown, and he could not suck on a nipple to get […]
What I learned going down an emergency slide
Escaping from an airplane is a lot like navigating health care — you need help from the people around you I can hardly sit through the standard pre-flight safety demonstrations anymore. It all seems like a farce now that I know the truth: Your survival of an emergency may depend more on the people around you than […]
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