Recently I watched a video from TEDMED on redesigning medical data. Thomas Geotz talked about a clinical study done in the Dental field on prevention. Interestingly, the study showed that fear didn't motivate patients to brush and floss. It was the patients intention that mattered most. Clearly, patients that are educated to the power they have to create the outcome that they desire yielded the best clinical results for interaction. Yet still we try to scare patients into being responsible for their health, keeping them in the dark as to how their bodies work and their interracial part in their long-term health and quality of life. Telling them what to do, but not why or how to do it. Common sense you say? I say it's not that common for people to have sense that they haven't been taught to have.
Wired magazine did an article about how difficult it is for patients to understand their medical test results and how it would be great if our results could be summarized and shared with patients in a manner that educates them as to their current health standing, what would be ideal and some suggested actions that would help patients achieve their goal to be healthy.
The article and video created a lot of feedback from opposing sides and I was shocked and interested to hear the arguments from both sides.
Since I work with doctors, patients and testing facilities I do recognize all sides of the story as having some great points. With that being said Obesity is clearly a major issue in this country, as are the diseases that are related to this condition. 80-85% of which are preventable with lifestyle changes.
We have to find a way to communicate with the patients that will enact a change in lifestyle. If that can be achieved by doing a better job educating them, without putting the doctor out of business because they don't have time in their schedules today do to the cost of providing healthcare, then I think that warrants additional research and effort. I am always interested in finding methods that could improve patient care and patient outcomes. With EMR and electronic lab results becoming more common, culminating those results and providing them in a fashion that would educate the patient shouldn't be too difficult. Who's up for the challenge. Post below if you have feedback, criticism or solutions. We always love the latter.
Below is a link to the TEDMED Video by Thomas Goetz: It's time to redesign medical data
TEDMED Video:Thomas Goetz
Here is the Wired Magazines Redesigned Blood Test Result and a link to the article the magazine wrote. Congrats on the National Magazine Award nomination for this article!
Wired Magazine Article: The Blood Test Gets a Makeover
Heather C Montgomery, CEO i-Medical Solutions
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