Relative to Annie's post on Patient Perspectives:
I propose calling it 'encouragement' rather than 'empowerment'. It might seem a more gentle and less frightening prospect for patients and providers alike to help folks have the courage to take a more active role, instead of framing it as power shifting. Partnership between patients and providers is essential. The power of a single word to elicit or shape the mood is remarkable.
Navigation also poses an interesting metaphor, how can we identify the signposts to help people know where to go...where to put the roadside information booths, or phone booths, so that information is available exactly when people need it without overloading and overwhelming.
lrn
Patient Perspective Thoughts.
It seems like a good day to just download some general thoughts surrounding P2.
Patient Input: It seems to me that it might limit our scope if we ask for input only from diabetes and CHF patients at this stage. Patients and family members dealing with a wide range of chronic illnesses could offer a greater perspective on the "systems" issues affecting optimal care from the patient perspective. The more we involve patients and clinicians at these early stages, the more they will be wanting to buy in when the project is ready for spread. Without early involvement, a sense of exclusion may dominate.
Empowerment: Empowering people with chronic illnesses to basically "take care of themselves" will take a different type of education. The societal norm is to put ones health care in the hands of professionals and it will take a great deal of re-molding both the clinician and the patient mindset to create a system where clinicians give and patients take the responsibility for care. My thought is that public health education designed for altering the perception of control surrounding illness is a necessary part to this system redesign. Clinicians can't be expected to hand the health of their patients over to their patients when patients have not been taught that they, themselves, are responsible for their health outcomes. Patients and family members might also benefit from some education on how to best navigate this new system we're creating.
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Annie's Weblog]
