Sometimes Patients Simply Need Other Patients
By Aaron E. Carroll and Austin Frakt. Originally posted on the New York Times Online on July 9th, 2018.
Summary
“In an ideal world, when we are faced with a new health problem, a clinician is available to sit down and address all our questions and anxieties about the condition and its treatment. This ideal is rarely met in the United States health system. More typically, we’re rushed through doctor visits that fly by too quickly for us to gather our thoughts.”
This article by the New York Times touches on the power of peer-to-peer support in helping patients who are struggling with mental health concerns. This piece highlights the story of Jodie Ofosuhene, who got in support from a community of other patients who were in the same boat when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 29.
