Participatory Medicine
Thursday, November 17, 2011
In 2007, Dave deBronkart, now known as e-patient Dave, learned he suffered from stage IV kidney cancer and had 24 weeks to live. Rather than waiting on death’s doorstep, deBronkart diligently researched and blogged about his rare form of cancer.
Photo: e-Patient Dave deBronkart - Photo by Roger Ramirez
Although deBronkart was unengaged in his own health care for years, his battle with cancer led him toward becoming a prominent patient advocate on the website epatients.net.
“Partnering with an exceptional team of physicians and online patients, I gained the real-time knowledge I desperately needed,” deBronkart says. “I quickly learned that patients are still the most underutilized resource in the healthcare industry, and I wanted to change that.”
Patient-to-Patient
After deBronkart beat the rare form of cancer that had spread throughout his entire body, he knew he had been steered in the right direction by patients and physicians. Since becoming a patient advocate, deBronkart has been elected as co-chair of the new Society for Participatory Medicine and was named one of HealthLeader’s “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better.”
“Empowered patients never take medical advice at face value; they’re always asking important questions and searching for answers,” deBronkart says. “My goal is to ensure patients no longer take a backseat when it comes to participating in their own health care.”