Speakers' abstracts
How to use the internet to improve the patient experience
Miller D, Associate Professor of Medicine, Mellen Centre for MS, Cleveland, Ohio
It is generally acknowledged that individuals living with chronic illness are responsible for the vast majority of their own disease management. For example, individuals with diabetes provide an estimated 95% of their care. There is increasing momentum for governmental agencies to provide guidance to clinicians about how to incorporate patient self-management support in their practice. Patient self-management support (S-MS) is defined by the Institute of Medicine as "the systematic provision of education and supportive interventions by health care staff to increase patients' skills and confidence…, including regular assessment of progress and problems, goal setting and problem solving support." Mellen Center Care On Line (MCCO) is an internet based S-MS program that allows participants to monitor their MS symptoms; make decisions about important changes; communicate in a secure, electronic way with their MS, and; advise clinicians about their agendas and questions for up coming appointments. The 104 patients who are enrolled in the experimental phase of this project have actively used the system to a greater extent than has been reported by researchers conducting similar projects. Participants responded to 51% of the prompts to conduct self-monitoring. 32% have responded to the request to provide appointment agendas and questions.