Tag Archive for: telemedicine reimbursement

Can Mobile Health Apps Lower the Burden of MPN Symptoms?

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Can Mobile Health Apps Lower the Burden of MPN Symptoms? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can the burden of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) symptoms be lessened through the use of mobile health apps? Blood cancer patient Lisa Hatfield shares common MPN symptoms that patients experience and explains wellness strategies and mobile app study results that decreased the symptom burden for patients.

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How MPN Patients Can Best Prepare for a Telemedicine Visit

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:  

As an MPN patient, you might experience symptoms like fatigue, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, abdominal discomfort, bone pain and others. However, early data using integrative approaches for the treatment of MPNs are promising, including aerobic activity, yoga, meditation, and strength training, to reduce the symptom burden and improve inflammation. With the evolution of smartphone technology, mobile apps have been increasingly popular to document wellness strategies. With this in mind, the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine developed and successfully piloted a global wellness mobile app, My Wellness Coach (MWC), to guide MPN patients on self-management strategies for their symptom burden. 

The app had patients set at least two wellness goals with clear action steps within these seven areas: nutrition, movement, sleep, resilience, environment, relationships and spirituality to work on over the course of 12 weeks. Within the app, there were links to curated resources and tips. Participants were sent 24- to 72-hour interval reminders before and after each action step and a goal deadline to encourage action throughout the intervention. At the end of the study, improvements were observed in inactivity, impaired concentration, dizziness, numbness, sexual dysfunction, night sweats, bone pain, and quality of life. 

If you’d like to implement something similar to what the participants did, try the following: 

  • Reflect on why you want to change your symptom burden so you feel motivated  
  • Determine which of these categories: nutrition, movement, sleep, resilience, environment, relationships, and spirituality would you like to set goals in 
  • Create two goals from those categories and make them SMART- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. 
  • Utilize resources available to you through support groups or online tools 
  • Set reminders on your phone or calendar for each step you need to take to complete your SMART goals

Mobile-based apps are another example of how MPN patients can use telemedicine in their day-to-day life and improve care.

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How Can MPN Patients Continue to Use Telemedicine and Overcome Barriers?

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How Can MPN Patients Continue to Use Telemedicine and Overcome Barriers? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What ways can myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients continue to use telemedicine to overcome barriers? Blood cancer patient Lisa Hatfield shares advice for coordinating with your MPN care provider to continue telemedicine visits and how to advocate for continued coverage of virtual visits.

Download Resource Guide

See More from MPN TelemEDucation

Related Resources:

What MPN Patient Type Is a Good Candidate for Telemedicine Visits

 The Importance of Telegenetics Consultations for MPN Patients

 Can Mobile Health Apps Lower the Burden of MPN Symptoms

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

If you got used to and liked doing telemedicine appointments rather than going to in-person appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, don’t worry – it seems like telemedicine is here to stay! In order to take forward what we have learned from telemedicine during the pandemic, here are a few things to keep in mind. 

  • Make sure you tell your doctor that you enjoyed telemedicine visits and would like to keep using them as much as possible. You and your doctor can work together to create a schedule of mixing in-person and virtual visits. For example, you might be able to do “remote monitoring,” where you feel your spleen daily to see if it’s more enlarged or keep an eye out if you feel more full or fatigued lately or if you’ve been losing weight unexpectedly and then you report back to your physician on any changes you are experiencing or if your symptoms are worsening. 
  • You can also complete symptom assessment forms online or discuss the forms through a virtual visit rather than completing and discussing forms in-person.
  • In-person appointments will still be necessary if you need blood drawn or if your doctor prefers to feel your spleen first-hand. Be sure to communicate with your healthcare team at what intervals of your MPN treatment you would need to come in office for. 
  • In a recent podcast interview with ASCO Daily News,  Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, Vice Chair of Medical Oncology of the New Jersey division of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, at Jefferson Health suggests that in order to keep telemedicine in the forefront of future care, to advocate for continued reimbursement for telemedicine. Always check with your healthcare provider on the cost or reimbursement for telemedicine appointments. 

With these things in mind, we can continue to use telemedicine as it evolves further in MPN care.

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