Meet Betty McWebb
To illustrate common methods of improving the healthcare experience through sharing information electronically weâve created a fictional character, Betty McWebb. Betty may not be flesh and bone, but her story is not uncommon. As you read about Betty, note each point in which she interacts with technology to gather and share information.
Betty, 42, lives in a suburban community with her husband and two children. She works a nine to five job in the city, with a 25-minute commute to and from the office. Betty suffers from tension headaches, and despite visiting a few doctors and trying a few medications, has not been able to completely rid herself of the ailment. Betty has two children. Her daughter, Heather, 12, is a diabetic and her son, Aaron, 16, has recently developed an acne problem. Last month Betty began setting aside time for a weekly fitness program including yoga and Pilates.
Betty is no more âconnectedâ? than the average consumer. She has a broadband Internet connection at home and in the office. She keeps in touch with friends and family via e-mail, and uses mobile phone text messages when appropriate to send quick reminders to her husband ? âDonât forget your dental appointment. â?A co-worker recently introduced Betty to blogs (web logs), something Betty hopes to use to journal her familyâs activities. Her first post covered a family vacation and briefly outlined a recent visit with her daughterâs physician. With a little luck, she thinks she can find the time for bi-weekly updates.
Betty has always enjoyed reading and leverages her daily commute to listen to audiobooks on the iPod her husband gave her last Christmas. She also uses this time to listen to podcasts (mp3 audio commentaries and news). With a busy schedule, she has found this to be a convenient method of keeping up with news, entertainment and health information. She subscribes to nearly a dozen podcasts through a free online service. Each time she connects her iPod to her home computer the podcasts are automatically updated.
Like 63 million Americans, Betty has discovered the value of the Internet as a support medium for specific health conditions. Shortly after her daughter was diagnosed with diabetes, Betty found an online forum (discussion group) connecting her to hundreds of people across the world that experience the disease. She has received answers to countless questions, and has offered advice to others based on her own experiences. She has opted to receive e-mails when new posts are made in specific categories, so she can easily stay on top of the discussions. Betty is also a member of an acne forum through which she gathers information on her sonâs condition, and is a member of a headache forum from which she receives monthly newsletters discussing homeopathic solutions for pain relief. Helping others by sharing her personal experience has become a passion for Betty, and the information she has received from others via forums has been invaluable in supplementing information from her family physician.
Betty has a wonderful relationship with her healthcare providers, and she enjoys the convenience of online prescriptions and access to her familyâs medical records. This technology has made it easy for her to transfer documents to new providers when necessary. Unfortunately, she has yet to find a provider that allows her to communicate directly with a physician online, but sheâs searching. Betty is not alone. Seventy-seven percent of Internet users wish to communicate with physicians via the Web when they feel a visit is not necessary â yet only seven percent have had the opportunity. Betty admits, that communicating with a physician via the Web would not replace the support sites she has grown to love. Helping others by sharing her experiences has become an important part of her weekly routine.
Like Betty, millions of consumers are using technology to enhance care they receive from their providers, while others are using it to replace some aspects of that care. Itâs up to providers to leverage these trends in improving the experience they offer their customers.