Health 2.0 Experiment

My Experiment

I do not know what health care reform will bring. On a grand level, I would not be surprised if no significant reform takes place. I doubt that health care reform will have much of an impact on the health and well-being of those of us who live in the U.S.

I really hope I am wrong.

To balance out the demoralized feeling I often get when I think too much about health care reform, I am doing an experiment. I am going to create, to the best of my ability, my own "micro" health care system. I'll use whatever tools I can find (and maybe even create some new ones) to take responsibility for my own health care and well-being.

Where Did I Get This Idea?

It's a borrowed (and perhaps exaggerated) version of a project that the folks at Health 2.0 are undertaking. For those of you who haven't been, the Health 2.0 conference scene is pretty exciting. I've been fortunate to be able to attend the last two conferences. I have yet to absorb all of the health technology solutions highlighted. I refer to it as a conference scene, rather than a conference, because the people who attend help make it an unforgettable experience.

I think I had a point. Oh, yeah, one of the reasons the Health 2.0 conference is worth getting excited about is patient involvement. The most recent conference reached a tipping point in terms of involving patients. A crew of (in)famous e-patients showed up and made the experience truly memorable.

The next conference is coming up at the beginning of October in San Francisco. I already have a favorite panel:

The Patient is In

Hear directly from epatients and patient advocates about the role of technology in living with a health condition and both the successes and challenges in making the healthcare system more consumer-centric. This panel will include a unique video project looking at the impact of Health 2.0 tools and communities on patient outcomes.

Feel free to join the experiment! You only need a specific health goal and access to the internet to participate.