Society for Participatory Medicine
Journal of Participatory Medicine
Commentary
We welcome submissions for this section of JoPM. Commentary can be video, podcast or print essays and reviews of topics (e.g., innovation in peer review) and events (conferences, courses, lectures) relevant to the discussion of participatory medicine. If you are interested in submitting a commentary, you may do so here.
Commentary, Vol. 3, 2011
The Rewards of Being a Participatory Health Care Provider
The author gives the provider’s perspective on the story of a woman who became an engaged advocate for her two disabled sisters, and touches on some of the principle tenets of participatory medicine that guided their work together.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
Medication Adherence: More than Reminders
Focusing on reminders alone ignores the many other factors that contribute to nonadherence, improper use, and potentially harmful results. Better patient-provider communication is crucial to solving these problems.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
A Skydiver Jumps, and an Online Community Exults
A cancer patient shares a joyful story with her online support group and is surprised to learn how much it means to her fellow members.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
My 8-Point Participatory Philosophy: What Makes Me a Participatory Patient
The author reflects on the eight attributes that make up her personal definition of a participatory patient.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
Sharks, Bees, and Health Privacy Paranoia
The issue that the e-patient community should be focusing on, in regard to health information exchange, is accuracy. Inaccurate health data hurts people far more frequently and significantly than privacy violations.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
Who Gets to Define Quality?
After three years of looking at US health care, trying to figure out why it refuses to improve, I have a humble but impatient suggestion: When we talk about quality, we should only include measures that patients agree define quality.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
Health Care: A Human Rights and Economic Justice Issue
It ultimately falls to us, the patients, to frame health care as a human right and matter of economic justice, alongside national security, public education, and disaster relief.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
A Participatory Medicine Journey
It can be hard to be a vigilant participatory patient. It can be fraught with emotions and fear of repercussion. But it’s harder to be in the dark.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 3, 2011
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
I have worked for more than 30 years as an Urgent Care/Emergency physician, and found that an unstable ER cardiac patient is looking for a different interaction than a patient with chronic issues or health concerns working with a primary care provider.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 2, 2010
What “Participatory” Means to Me
Reflecting on my own experiences, I wonder if my modus operandi would be considered truly participatory.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 2, 2010
The Term “Patient” May Describe Me … But It Does Not Define Me
Although some individuals prefer to describe themselves as e-patients, em-patients, consumers, clients, etc., the historic term “patient” is, in fact, a sufficient and effective descriptor of “a person seeking or needing the services of a health care professional.”
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 2, 2010
Evidence that Engagement Does Make a Difference
To date, there has been little direct evidence to support the claim that our engagement affects health outcomes. So when a study comes along that specifically examines how people engage in a high-stakes, effective intervention and its impact on their health, it’s worth a close look.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 2, 2010
Who’s a Peer? Improving Peer Review by Including Additional Sources of Expertise
The credibility, authority, and relevance of prestigious journals are being questioned in the light of an apparent increase in publications marred by technical flaws or misconduct, despite having passed peer review. To strengthen the review process, JoPM proposes to allow health care users and other lay experts to participate in the shaping of new knowledge by providing feedback on the quality of the evidence.
Read MoreCommentary, Featured Podcast, Podcasts, Vol. 2, 2010
Participatory Evidence: Opportunities and Threats
In our new world of instant information exchange and empowered patients, how are clinicians and empowered patients challenging traditional ways to collect, evaluate, and publish evidence?
Read MoreCommentary, Featured Podcast, Podcasts, Vol. 2, 2010
Peer Review and Reputation Systems: A Discussion
Can we trust traditional peer review? If it’s broken, how might we fix it?
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 1, 2009
Why Health Care Professionals Should Practice Participatory Medicine: Perspective of a Long-Time Medical Editor
All medical and health care is intensely personal: one patient, one professional, one moment, one decision. The patient is best served by fully participating. With American health care reform imminent, participation for self-preservation becomes even more important.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 1, 2009
Participatory Health Care: Perspective from a Nurse Leader
Most nurses inherently value the concept of partnership, of complementary expertise, of collaboration. This stems from our service orientation and our holistic view of situations and solutions.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 1, 2009
Why Purchasers Should Care about Participatory Medicine
Purchasers of health care—employers, union trusts, and government agencies—have experienced inexorable cost increases and stagnating quality results despite many efforts at payment and delivery system reform.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 1, 2009
What It Will Take to Embrace Participatory Medicine: One Patient’s View
I have the honor of writing this introductory piece for the Journal of Participatory Medicine (JoPM) from the viewpoint of a patient. To do this I must drop my academic titles and replace them with my qualification for the task at hand.
Read MoreCommentary, Vol. 1, 2009
Bio-Socio-Technical Underpinnings of Participatory Medicine
Participatory medicine (PM) is facilitated by technology, but a purely technical analysis of their interaction provides only a partial picture. Drawing on a rich body of social science research, this article examines how both socio-cultural and biological perspectives lend additional context and a deeper understanding of the role of technology in PM.
Read More
Hacking Health: Designing for and Understanding My Health
Participatory Medicine: Opportunities and Threats
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