General Archives - SPM Blog

Moments that Matter: in-between routine care to emergency medicine

by Eric Bersh | Aug 28, 2023

From shared-decision making, patient-centered care and value-based care to common technology innovations, healthcare players often describe how we aspire healthcare to be in concepts, buzzwords, branding and what has become common lexicon mentioned in conversations...

What My Second Lease on Life Taught Me about the Power of Human Connection

by Eric Bersh | Aug 17, 2023

I was born with a congenital heart defect called bicuspid aortic stenosis with regurgitation. When I was 12 years old I was told I needed immediate open-heart surgery. As the anxiety, depression and sheer terror set in, my family tried to distract me by taking me on...

Team Building In The Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Eric Bersh | Aug 8, 2023

Editor’s note: In her new book, Communicating Through a Pandemic: A Chronicle of Experiences, Lessons Learned, and a Vision for the Future, Amelia Burke-Garcia, PhD, MA explores the many and varied roles that communication has played over the course of this pandemic,...

BMJ publishes obituary of “Mighty Casey” Quinlan: Outspoken patient activist

by e-Patient Dave | Aug 4, 2023

The BMJ has published an obituary of lifetime SPM member “Mighty Casey” Quinlan. We (co-authors Jan Oldenburg and I) are thrilled that the editors, particularly obituaries editor Birte Twistleman, gave full voice to everything Casey. May her memory be a...

Building for Success: How Good Clinicians Can Empower Patients

by Eric Bersh | Jul 12, 2023

Editor’s note: Ibrahim Rashid contracted Long COVID more than two years ago. The experience is propelling his patient advocacy and entrepreneurship, as co-founder of the digital health company Strong Haulers. In this excerpt from his new book, Strong Hauler: Learning...

Update: How empathy, education, communication and the PAST Model transformed Sickle Cell patient care

by Brenda Merriweather | Jun 12, 2023

Editor’s note: The following column by Society for Participatory Medicine board member Brenda Merriweather originally appeared in this space in December 2021. We are excerpting from that column in recognition of “Advancing Health Equity Through Participatory...