Empowering Patients

Dave, how did you personally get involved in the topic of patient empowerment and patient engagement?
Dave deBronkart: I was always an empowered person, ever since the social change of the 1960s, and an empowered consumer in everything I bought. When I got cancer I did the same - then I was surprised to learn that it's not normal in healthcare! 

What does the term “patient empowerment” mean to you and why is it so important?
Dave deBronkart: I cite the World Bank's work in empowerment: it's increasing people's ability to achieve the results they want. It's pretty obvious why that's important in healthcare! 

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges when it comes to involving patients more in their own healthcare?
Dave deBronkart: It's both cultural and technological. First, if doctors and patients both expect patients to be quiet, nothing will change - we need to change that. And if patients don't have their health data and access to literature, it limits what patients can do. 

How can the healthcare system improve in order to better integrate patients into the healthcare process?
Dave deBronkart: Realize that patients can be contributing partners in the care relationship. Give them access to the information they need and create ways for their voices to be part of the process. 

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What role do doctors and other healthcare professionals play in the process of patient empowerment?
Dave deBronkart: Ask patients what's important to them, and teach them ways to help produce that result. 

How can we encourage patients to take a more active role in their own healthcare?
Dave deBronkart: Success stories are highly motivating! When people see that "someone like me" made a difference it helps them see why they should try.

How can digital tools and technologies further develop patient engagement and empowerment?
Dave deBronkart: Knowledge is power, especially the knowledge about what your body is doing! 

What changes do you hope to see in the healthcare sector over the next 10 years with regard to patient engagement?
Dave deBronkart: I hope that that rising generations of patients and doctors will expect and develop a new approach to maintaining health and improving care, with patients as active partners ... so that doctors don't have to do all the work themselves!

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As an international keynote speaker, Dave has addressed numerous conferences, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Danish Patient Safety Association. His TEDx Talk, "Let Patients Help," has been widely viewed and appreciated. He is also the author of "Let Patients Help: A Patient Engagement Handbook," which serves as a resource for both patients and healthcare professionals. 

Dave's work centers on transforming the relationship between patients and healthcare providers by advocating for open access to health information and encouraging patients to take an active role in their care. His efforts have significantly contributed to the participatory medicine movement, aiming to improve healthcare outcomes through collaboration between patients and healthcare professionals.

Digitale Gesundheit, ePatient, Health 2.0 – dieses Handbuch bietet Orientierung im weiten und rasant wachsenden Feld der vernetzten Gesundheit.

Das Buch zeigt: Health 2.0 ist die Gesundheitsversorgung von morgen, in der Ärzte und Patienten die Behandlung gemeinsam und gleichberechtigt planen. Es richtet sich an Patienten und ihre Angehörigen, an Ärzte und Pflegefachleute, an Praktiker_innen in der Heim- und Krankenhausverwaltung, im Gesundheitsmanagement, in der Pharmaindustrie und in der Medizintechnik.

Mit Beiträgen von ePatient Dave deBronkart, u.a. zum Thema "Lasst Patienten mithelfen".

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