Tag Archive for: network managers

There’s an App for That…Or There Should Be: Utilizing Technology for Better Health Outcomes

Health literacy has always been a passion project of mine ever since I was diagnosed with cancer. I stand by the notion that plain language and clear communication leads to better health outcomes. However, communicating with our care team isn’t always easy. How many of us have gone into an appointment only to leave the office 10 minutes later, wondering what happened and what our copay went to? Were all of our issues and questions addressed? 

This is where we have to come in as advocates for our own health, and below are a few ways to do this: 

  • Try and focus on one ailment per appointment 
  • Write down a list of questions you want addressed prior to the appointment 
  • Ask questions during the appointment – you are the expert of your body and health 
  • If something doesn’t make sense, ask for the information to be explained in another way. Patients are found to be more compliant if they know: 
    • How to take their medications properly 
    • Why specific blood tests and imaging are ordered (i.e. if they’re necessary) 

How do we keep track of all of this information, though? There are patient portals that keep track of our appointments and records, but those can often be hard to navigate, and they lack the capability of being able to enter our own information (i.e. about how we’re feeling). Additionally, different health systems have different portals, leading not only to lost passwords, but a missed opportunity for integrated healthcare. This is essentially senseless for cancer patients who have to keep track of multiple appointments and medications, all while trying to keep afloat in a system that wasn’t built for patients and their caregivers. 

However, there’s a role technology can play here. I’ve heard of patients carrying around large binders of their records from appointment to appointment, but if we’re being honest, I don’t believe a physician or other member of a patient’s care team is going to take the time to go through it. Instead, utilizing the power of the device that we’re constantly carrying around and looking at may be the way to go (in addition to a smaller folder or journal for those that are comfortable with paper). 

If we think about it, there’s an app for everything, and having an app to keep track of our cancer journey should be no different. What should this app be able to do? Here are a few things that I think are especially important: 

  • Keep track of: 
    • Medications (dosage, picture of what it looks like, how to take it and what to do if you accidentally miss a dose or take more than what is prescribed, ability to refill) 
    • Blood work (results and what they mean [featuring a scale of what’s low vs. normal vs. high], what to ask your doctor about in terms of next steps) 
    • Imaging (results and what they mean, what to ask your doctor in terms of next steps) 
  • Ability to connect with all members of your care team (primary care doctor, oncologist, nurse navigator even if they work in different health systems) 
  • Ability to connect with caregivers and share information with them 
  • A diary to describe daily thoughts, symptoms, and side effects, flagging specific keywords that can alert a member of your care team 
  • A calendar with appointments (date/time, office location, directions) 
  • Tips to assist with mental health (i.e. offering local or national support groups [both virtual and in-person], counseling that accepts insurance and/or is offered on a sliding scale) 
  • Exercise routines featuring different forms of exercise (yoga, pilates, HIIT, weightlifting, playing a sport, walking and running, etc.) based on you’re feeling side effect- and energy-wise 
  • Information about nutrition through the different phases of a cancer journey (pre-treatment vs. in-treatment vs. post-treatment) that includes recipes 
  • Most importantly, all of this information should be in plain language that’s easy to understand in whatever language the patient is most comfortable reading 

Having an app that features all of these capabilities, I believe, would push the needle forward in patient care, not only creating better health outcomes, but a more satisfied patient. What would you add to the list? 

Involving Patients in their Care: The Clinical Trial and Drug Development Processes

Patient involvement in every facet of healthcare is incredibly important in creating better patient outcomes. I believe this is especially true in the rare and chronic disease communities, including cancer. One facet that is particularly key for patient engagement is the development of drugs produced through the clinical trial process.

Clinical trials can cost millions to fund with the goal of producing a product(s) that may or may not help it’s targeted disease population. Thousands of patients rely on these trials to find a cure and/or enhance their quality of life by providing symptoms of relief. Yet many don’t know about them, and if they do, it’s a struggle to find them, much less enroll in one.

As a person who takes on many roles, including a rare disease patient and a cancer patient, as well as someone who has translated clinical trial protocols for a lay audience and now recruits for those trials, I have seen firsthand the barriers that patients face when it comes to potentially life-saving treatments. Below is what I have encountered and what we as healthcare professionals can do about it:

Visibility Into Clinical Trials

While most patients know of and about clinical trials, they are often not aware that they may be an option for treatment. Healthcare is a business, and because of this, doctors feel like they’re “losing” their patients (aka revenue) when they refer their patients. However, most healthcare organizations, facilities, etc. boast that they’re focused on patient-centered care. Patient-centered care means focusing on the needs of each patient and providing the best treatment possible even if it comes from another source.

The Language of Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are often discussed using medical jargon that is too confusing for patients to understand, especially the eligibility criteria. Patients should not be expected to learn a new language to understand the treatment process. Rather, they need resources that will help them understand if they qualify, what will happen in the trial, and how long they’ll be in the trial for.

Outcomes of Clinical Trials

A patient who had participated in a clinical trial once told me that the investigators focused mainly on whether the drug that she was receiving was treating her condition and never considered her quality of life. Quality of life should automatically be included as a measurable outcome in each clinical trial even if it’s not the main purpose.

Involvement in Clinical Trials and Drug Development

Patient centricity, as written above, has become a buzzword in the healthcare industry. The drug company, AstraZeneca, defines it best: “Putting the patient first in an open and sustained engagement of the patient to respectfully and compassionately achieve the best outcome for that patient and their family.” Are we really doing this if patients aren’t involved in the drug and clinical trial development processes?

How can patients invest themselves, and the government and pharma invest in patients, to potentially get a better ROI?:

  • Look at Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s website, whose work focuses on outcomes most important to patients and research that focuses on gold-standard randomized controlled trials, as well as observational studies.
  • Sign up for AstraZeneca’s Patient Partnership Program
  • Research articles on drug development for your disease and contact the authors
  • Engage in the FDA’s Patient Representative Program
  • Join the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDHR)’s Patient Engagement Advisory Committee
  • Join the FDA’s Patient Engagement Collaborative
  • Participate and/or request a Patient Listening Session
  • Present at an Open Public Hearing Portion of an FDA Advisory Committee Meeting
  • Get involved in:
    • The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)’s Patient-Focused Drug Development program by subscribing to their email updates
    • A patient advocacy group and/or think tank
    • An organization related to your diagnosis that may have doctors on their Board that you can reach out to and share your story and the importance of involving patients

Find more information in this PDF created by Global Genes

Receive Personalized Support Through PEN’s New Text-Line

Now, you can receive personalized support from our Network Managers by texting EMPOWER to +1-833-213-6657. Each of our Network Managers is a compassionate volunteer who can offer you their first-hand experience with specific cancer types. Whether you’re a cancer patient, or caring for someone who is, PEN’s Network Managers will be here for you at every step of your journey. 

To introduce how you can benefit from the PEN Text-Line, we’ve shared the following FAQs, but please let us know if you have feedback or further questions.

What number do I text?

+1-833-213-6657

Who will receive and respond to my text messages?

Your text will be received by PEN’s Network Manager Coordinator, who will then connect you to the Network Manager best-suited to support your needs. Additional Network Managers may also respond, as we know it can be helpful to receive more than one perspective.

Your initial message to the PEN Text-Line will receive an auto-response, but please know that it will soon be read and personally responded to by a member of the PEN team! 

What types of support can I receive from the Network Managers?

Through their personal experiences with cancer, PEN’s Network Managers are here to offer you community and connection. You can ask us anything! For example:

  • Cancer-focused guidance
  • Online and in-person support groups for patients or care partners
  • Financing options for cancer treatment
  • Identifying clinical trials
  • Recommended webinars
  • What questions to ask your healthcare team
  • Methods for managing stress, and for living in the moment
  • How to share the news of your diagnosis with loved ones and colleagues

We also encourage you to reach out even if you don’t have a specific question; you are not in this alone—there will always be someone from the Patient Empowerment Network team here to listen and offer encouragement. 

Are there other reasons to engage with PEN’s Text-Line?

Definitely! 

Send us your suggestions for our online content and services. For example: 

  • What topics would you like us to cover more, or less often?
  • Do you have suggestions for PEN’s future Empowered #PatientChats
  • Would you like to contribute articles to the PEN blog
  • Do you want to inspire others by sharing the story of your own path to patient empowerment?

Be the first to receive the latest PEN news by texting the word EMPOWER to the Text-Line. You will then be prompted to choose what notifications you would like to subscribe to. For example:

  • Upcoming PEN webinars and other events
  • New content releases from the Network Managers
  • Wellness boosts, such as notes of encouragement and health tips

Is my interaction with the PEN Network Managers Text-Line HIPAA compliant?

Your messages will always be kept in strict confidence, however the PEN Text-Line is not HIPAA compliant. Therefore, we encourage you to use discretion when discussing specific information such as your or other individuals’ names, diagnosis details, etc. Please note that any advice provided by the PEN Network Managers is not medical advice. We also recommend patients refrain from giving other patients medical advice.

Who can I contact for more information or to provide feedback?

Feel free to email Nykema Mpama at kema@powerfulpatients.org.

Message and data rates may apply 

 

The Power of the PEN Empowerment Lead Program

I never dreamed of being a patient advocate, but then again, I never dreamed of receiving a cancer diagnosis, either. When I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in January 2017, I didn’t have any symptoms. I was told I had the “good” cancer or “the cancer to get if you had to be diagnosed with one” by my doctors. I took this information to heart, and accepted that cancer was now a part of my life, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

It wasn’t until I ended my treatment, when I declared myself a survivor, that I realized I was completely wrong. I recognized there were choices I could have made regarding my treatment plan and there were still opportunities to take charge in how I was treated as a patient. Enter patient advocacy in the cancer world.

Everyone has a story, no patient or cancer is the same. We each have our own unique experience of how we move through the healthcare system beginning the day we’re diagnosed with the “C” word. I knew my story was unique because I was an AYA patient, or an adolescent and young adult, I was working full-time, and I was in graduate school. I dreamt of being published on places other than social media. I wanted an outlet where I was free to share my side of the story without having to hold back. A place where I could share not only the ups and downs of my journey, but my own insights of what it was like to be a young cancer patient. A place where I could advocate for other thyroid cancer patients – let them know what to expect, the questions they should ask of their care team, and how to best take care of themselves. Enter the Patient Empowerment Network.

Patient Empowerment Network (PEN) is an advocacy organization for cancer patients whose “mission is to fortify cancer patients and care partners with the knowledge and tools to boost their confidence, put them in control of their healthcare journey, and assist them with receiving the best, most personalized care available.” I discovered them through one of their tweet chats on Twitter using the hashtag #patientchat. I immediately reached out to see how I could get involved. Leadership discussed their strategic vision of having “empowerment leads” for different cancers that would create and curate content to educate other cancer patients and help them feel empowered. I was honored when I was told that I would pilot this program as the Thyroid Cancer Empowerment Lead, and my content would be read and shared by others.

The PEN Empowerment Lead program officially launched in March 2020 with the goal “to support health communities around important topics and provide navigation for the path to empowerment. Through various mediums, social media platforms and content formats, Empowerment Leads develop specific messages, seek out resources and contribute to amplifying the needs of specific health communities via guidance of an established editorial calendar.” For example, I’ve had the opportunity to write a variety of blog posts and participate in tweet chats on a number of different topics, including resilience, health literacy, telehealth, and what it’s like to be an adolescent and young adult (AYA) with cancer. It has been my greatest privilege to connect with other patients through this content, inspiring them to be their own advocate.

To find PEN’s current team of Empowerment Leads, visit https://powerfulpatients.org/about/#empowermentleads. Clicking on each person’s picture will bring you to their bio as well as content they have created, including recipe guides, interviews, comedy sketches, infographics, and more. Note also that each empowerment lead has a personal PEN email that you can use to contact them. PEN’s Empowerment Leads thrive on encouraging patients and their caregivers to feel more confident in voicing concerns and communicating with their healthcare team, and ultimately empower them to become advocates for themselves and their loved ones.

Joining PEN’s network of cancer empowerment leads has truly been inspiring. Although we’re all across the world, conversing with them via email and Zoom chats and hearing their stories and thoughts of how to resonate with more patients is what feeds my soul. PEN is constantly growing, with their goal of representing all cancers. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Nykema, PEN’s Empowerment Lead Coordinator, at kema@powerfulpatients.org.


As a caregiver and Care Partner Empowerment Lead with PEN, I constantly search for practical information to use and pass along to those I support. I offer support by listening and providing solutions to empower caregivers to improve their resilience. – Sherea