By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The Real Debate: Who Should Pay If Providers Fail to Curb Medicare Costs — Seniors or the Government?
    August 16, 2012
    sovaldi treatment
    Hooray for High-Priced Hepatitis Treatment Sovaldi
    April 4, 2014
    Innovating Healthcare System Strategy: Creating the Commercial ACO
    September 30, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 20, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 20, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 20, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Birth of an *e*-Patient
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > The Birth of an *e*-Patient
Social Media

The Birth of an *e*-Patient

HowardLuks
HowardLuks
Share
8 Min Read
SHARE

You never know when those moments are going to happen.  As usual, when you least expect it. I receive many questions through my website, but even after I comment,very few come back to continue the discussion.  Today was quite different… and it allowed me to sit back and smile and know that another e patient was born today…. and I  further knew that every moment I spend online  is worth it.

 

You never know when those moments are going to happen.  As usual, when you least expect it. I receive many questions through my website, but even after I comment,very few come back to continue the discussion.  Today was quite different… and it allowed me to sit back and smile and know that another e patient was born today…. and I  further knew that every moment I spend online  is worth it.

 

More Read

Wing of Zock to Host Next Health Care Social Media Review
Google’s Blind Date with Consumer Health
Beyond the Buzz: Why SlideShare Should Be Part of Your Healthcare Social Media Mix
Medical Social Media Factoids….Breaking News
Can Big Data Spot Suicidal Attempts in the Military?

Shawna’s first note came to my site late last week: You can follow the threaded comments here.

 

I followed through with a series of suggestions:

July 2, 2011 at 4:16 am

Two choices… at least. I’ve blogged and written about this before. Many outpatient MRIs (especially open 0.3T scans with large “slices”) are difficult to read or are possibly improperly read… so you can always consider obtaining a second opinion on your MRI interpretation. Second thought… I think you may wish to have a second orthopedic opinion too… someone who may not dismiss your issues because an MRI was normal. MRIs do not identify all abnormalities. Many diagnoses can be made be physical examination alone — and the MRI may not show something wrong. Example – snapping tendons. When you’re walking they move and snap, but when you’re lying still on an MRI table they are in their normal position. Find a surgeon willing to engage and work with you to attempt to identify the issue that is clearly affecting your quality of life.
Good Luck

 

Shawna came back :-) Her response should be read carefully– particularly near the end

 

…again, thk u doctor luks…your responding renews my hope a bit b/c i have not been able to get any of my doc’s to listen to me. they are very dismissive, and the “normal” MRI report finding has not helped.

once i experienced the callousness of the OS, who ordered the MRI, i decided i would not be returning after i’d had my MRI, and instead, opted to return to my GP provider (a physician’s asst.), hoping she would be more concerned than he appeared to be, and willing to send me to another OS, given my symptoms haven’t changed. however, i did not find that to be the case. she explained, considering the “normal” MRI finding, she didn’t feel there was any other cause known to her (that hadn’t already been considered by the MRI) that might be responsible for the pain i’m in. nor, was she willing to take a very pro-active approach of trying find out either, i felt.

the most i got out of her was, she conceded to have my case reviewed by her supervising doctor, but she was very resistant even to helping me, in the meantime, to find ways to deal with pain i’m in, which i found equally frustrating, as not knowing what’s causing the pain. i assumed there could be no harm in providing me, at the least, with the things i know are available to doctor’s to help ease a patient’s discomfort, but i had every one of my requests shot down, as if i had no right to ask. when i asked to have a basic brace to help support me (on a temporary basis) b/c i am not able to walk w/o limping and using a cane, she told me they were only for ligament injuries; when i asked if she could provide medication (not the vicodin i had been given at first), but rather some other pain med that might work in tandem perhaps with the anti-inflammatory meds i already had, she refused-stating those were enough; when i even asked could i receive a cortisone shot(s) in my knee to help numb it (the way I had for my wrist previously), she stated they were only for a situation like my wrist tendonitis; and finally, when i asked if i were a candidate for PT, perhaps they could help relieve the pain, she said, only as a last option-that she needed to be “conservative” in her approach. (unbelievable)

so, saying ALL that to say (my apologies for the length), i appreciate your suggestions that MRI’s are not the only diagnostic tool available, and that another pair of eyes might yield a different result-it gives me something to take to my next appt at the GP’s, with the senior doctor on staff-before i have to completely give up, and just resign myself to live with this pain. i only hope this time, i’m met with more than resistance, b/c you’re right, this definitely does affect the quality of my life.

i just don’t know what rights i have, if any, b/c i’m afraid i don’t belong to the best HMO, and i fear that is what is, in part, behind much of the low quality of care i’ve received so far. :-|

at any rate, i appreciate your taking time out to answer me.

 

Next… I sent out a quick tweet to my favorite patient advocate and favorite  e-patient  🙂

Trisha repsonded:

 

Then it happened… An e-Patient was born !:

 

Many of us, over and over have spoken and written about how we feel we are stuck in a #hcsm echo chamber and we frequently question whether or not further engagement at this level is worth it.  Well — Shawna, and all the other Shawna’s out there… let me tell you this.  YOU are the reason why I am active online and have such a dense digital footprint (compared to others in healthcare).  And because of our little interaction today… I’m going to continue to remain active in the echo-chamber, because every now and then someone new who needs our assistance knocks on the door.

Welcome!!

TAGGED:e-patientsocial media
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Consumer Directed Health to Social Media…’Consumerism’ Has Become the Undeniable Force in Healthcare

January 20, 2012
share practice
eHealthMedical DevicesMobile HealthSocial Media

Crowdsourcing Doctors’ Insights on What Works Best

March 23, 2014
online patient reviews
Social Media

Patient Reviews: Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater!

September 15, 2013
eHealthHospital AdministrationMedical EducationMedical InnovationsMobile HealthNewsSocial MediaTechnology

Dealing With Negative Feedback on Your Hospital Social Media

November 12, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?