We don’t regularly post obituaries on the e-Patients Blog. But sometimes we lose someone of great moment to the SPM and the e-patient community. Nancy Finn was one such person.

Nancy Finn was a beacon of inspiration and advocacy. Recently, we faced the profound loss of Nancy, who passed away after a brief illness. A courageous two-time breast cancer survivor, Nancy also faced the challenges of a chronic health condition. However, she never let her struggles define her. Instead, she utilized her experiences as an engaged and empowered e-patient to help others navigate their health journeys. 

Nancy was a long-time member of the board of overseers and served as a patient advocate at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and on the quality board at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. She also served on the consumer health council and patient engagement workgroup of Massachusetts Health Quality Partners.

Nancy’s professional background was in writing, publishing, and marketing, and she taught journalism and communications at Boston University. She applied her skills to writing a blog and publishing several books, first advocating for greater use of technology in medical practice and then illustrating how digital technologies can be powerful tools for patients. The revised second edition of her book, e-Patients Live Longer: The Complete Guide to Managing Health Care Using Technology, was published in 2023. I was privileged to contribute the foreword for both editions.

Her knowledge and insights were not confined to her writings; Nancy shared her expertise through presentations and discussions at international forums at the Global Alliance for Women’s Health and the Global Alliance for Health Promotion, affiliated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the World Health Organization.

Her role as an early member of the Society for Participatory Medicine (SPM) exemplified her commitment to patient engagement. As a prolific contributor to our blog, her well-researched essays on topics such as chronic illness, healthcare costs, and personal patient experiences informed and inspired many. As a result of her energy and engagement, she joined the board of directors and served as secretary for many years. She was a valued member of the board, and she felt passionately about the SPM’s mission. Even after retiring from the board, her dedication remained steadfast; she announced that proceeds from her recent book would be donated to SPM, a testament to her commitment to the cause.

I was fortunate to collaborate with Nancy on a paper recently published in the Journal of Participatory Medicine, titled “From Internet to AI Bots: Symbiotic Evolutions of Digital Technologies and e-Patients.” While she knew of its acceptance, it is heartbreaking that she did not live to see it published.

Nancy Finn will be deeply missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing her. Her warmth, passion for advocacy, and unwavering belief in empowering patients have left a lasting legacy. As we move forward, let us honor her memory by continuing to champion the participatory medicine movement.