Teasing.Physical violence.Staring.Social isolation.Name-calling. Many of our members with psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune condition that can produce red, scaly patches and other skin symptoms, report experiencing various forms of bullying while growing up. One relays the story of a teacher who repeatedly sent her to the nurse’s office, assuming that she had a contagious condition. Another… Continue reading Psoriasis and Bullying
Category: Patient Experiences
What Is Health?
It seems like a basic question, but at PatientsLikeMe, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it means. Check out Co-Founder and Chairman Jamie Heywood’s thought-provoking presentation below at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue’s “Future of Human Longevity” conference. Can you really understand concepts such as health, mobility or well-being without… Continue reading What Is Health?
Aetna and PatientsLikeMe Help Empower Members Through Collaborative Program
HARTFORD, Conn. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 14, 2013 – Aetna (NYSE: AET) and PatientsLikeMe today announced a new program to help Aetna members improve the way they live with various health conditions. Through a one-year pilot program, Aetna is directing its members to PatientsLikeMe so they can connect with others who have the same condition,… Continue reading Aetna and PatientsLikeMe Help Empower Members Through Collaborative Program
Give the Gift of Life on National Donor Day
Valentine’s Day is all about showing your love for your significant other. But what if it were also about showing your love for perfect strangers? February 14th is National Donor Day, a day of awareness about how registering to be an organ donor can give someone a second chance at life. Does your driver’s license… Continue reading Give the Gift of Life on National Donor Day
Get Pumped for American Heart Month
You’ve all heard this fact before: heart disease (including heart attacks and heart failure) is the leading cause of death among American men and women, claiming around 600,000 lives each year. But what are you doing about it? Are you and your family working on the controllable risk factors that play a role in this… Continue reading Get Pumped for American Heart Month
First-Ever Rheumatoid Awareness Day
In an ongoing effort to raise awareness, the Rheumatoid Patient Foundation (RPF) has now established February 2nd as Rheumatoid Awareness Day. This is the first time ever that a day has been designated for rheumatoid disease and it will give a voice to the millions who are living with this condition. Rheumatoid disease (also known as… Continue reading First-Ever Rheumatoid Awareness Day
PatientsLikeMe’s Jamie Heywood Talks with INSEAD Knowledge
“That’s why we built PatientsLikeMe, to lower the cost of discovering new treatments and to measure and understand disease. Together, this community can help reduce the time to determine what works.” –Jamie Heywood While attending the 2012 INSEAD Healthcare Alumni Summit in London last fall, PatientsLikeMe Co-Founder and Chairman Jamie Heywood sat down with INSEAD… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe’s Jamie Heywood Talks with INSEAD Knowledge
Coping with Changes in Physical Appearance
When you are diagnosed with a life-changing illness, your doctor may prepare you for how the disease will affect your physical functions. But as our members point out, patients also need to be prepared for the changes in physical appearance they may experience. For example, how do you deal with hair loss, facial swelling, weight… Continue reading Coping with Changes in Physical Appearance
A Day in the Life of Health Data and Drug Information Clinical Specialist David Blaser
What’s it like to work at PatientsLikeMe? We are continuing to reveal just that with our ongoing blog series “A Day in the Life,” which features PatientsLikeMe employees from different departments. Today we’d like to introduce you to David Blaser, PharmD, a registered pharmacist who decided to trade his white lab coat for the more casual… Continue reading A Day in the Life of Health Data and Drug Information Clinical Specialist David Blaser
Write a Love/Hate Letter to Your Thyroid for Thyroid Awareness Month
Do you love your thyroid? Do you hate it? Or more importantly, do you even know where it is? A small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck (just below the Adam’s apple), the thyroid influences the function of the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin. That’s why it’s so important to know… Continue reading Write a Love/Hate Letter to Your Thyroid for Thyroid Awareness Month