Connect
Mayo Clinic Connect was featured in today's Post Bulletin in Rochester, MN.
See the original article by health reporter Dené K. Dryden:
Mayo Clinic's Connect platform an avenue for online community between locals, worldwide users.
Special thanks for mentors @johnbishop and @karukgirl, as well as cardiologist and Mayo Clinic's medical director for social media, Dr. Timimi for sharing your health stories and introductions to Mayo Clinic Connect, as well as why you volunteer to mentor other patients and caregivers.
Some of my favorite quotes from the article, include:
Dr. Timimi: Connect was born "out of our recognition that, for the majority of patients, their disease isolates them," and they might not be able to find support for their rare or uncommon condition within their local community.
"And, beyond that, a patient is an expert in their own disease," Timimi said. "I have expertise in heart failure, but I've never lived with heart failure. And living with a disease, that kind of journey from disease diagnosis to treatment to recovery, is a trajectory that I've never experienced. But, a patient has expertise."
John: "... so if they can talk to other patients who may have had the same experience or have the same condition, same symptoms and learn from them ... their information exchange is valuable."
Debra: "I signed up for Mayo Connect because I was scared," Heyerman said. "I asked, 'What do you pack? What do you take? What do you wear, what can you wear?' Users who had gone through open heart surgery chimed in with advice."
Thank you for all the support you offer to one another. Every member, please take a bow!
What is your favorite line in the article?
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Connect
Unfortunately, the article wanted me to subscribe to the online newspaper in order to access the entire piece.
Ginger
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2 ReactionsOh no. I was able to read it. Here is the PDF of the article.
MCC_Post Bulletin Story (MCC_Post-Bulletin-Story.pdf)
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4 ReactionsI love this article. Thank you @karukgirl and @johnbishop for allowing yourselves to be interviewed.
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4 ReactionsGreat article!!! Like myself, it seems almost everyone finds this forum by happenstance when they do a google search on a condition. Just think how many folks who could benefit from reaching Connect do NOT get a google hit and have no idea it exists. Articles like this helps get the word out. I’m guessing Mayo may give out the joining information to their patients (?) but I sure wish there was help across medical institutions to help folks find resources like Connect. Great job!
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6 ReactionsGood point, @dbeshears1. You're right that a lot of people find Mayo Clinic Connect when doing an internet search. That's not surprising since the conversations involve people talking about the things people want to connect on the most.
In addition, Mayo Clinic tells patients and families about Connect in several different ways. "Windows into the discussions on Connect can be found at the bottom of the patient information webpages, like this one about pancreatic cancer https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pancreatic-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20355421
Brochures are inserted in patient packages and available in waiting areas, patient libraries, etc. Also the staff and volunteers tell patients about the community. At a recent event raising awareness about women's heart health, this video played. It was this video that caught the attention of the news journalist. 🙂
Word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to let other people know about Mayo Clinic Connect. Feel free to share the video and/or the news article with a friend or on social media.
Debbie, thank you for being part of what makes Mayo Clinic Connect so special.
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