health

GF + DF recipe from LupusChick: Berry Bliss Smoothie Bowl

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Our partner Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana, founder of LupusChick, blogs about healthy cooking and living with lupus and other chronic conditions. Check out this gluten-free, dairy-free recipe she wanted to share with the lupus community (or anyone who’d like to try it) before berry season winds down! One of my favorite aspects about summer is seeing berries and dragon fruit line the shelves at my local grocer. Berries are incredibly versatile, landing in everything in my kitchen from galettes and pancakes to focaccia and of course, smoothies. But not every smoothie is meant to be consumed in a glass. Cue the smoothie bowl… My berry bliss smoothie bowl is one of my top breakfast choices. Raspberries and pineapple deliver vitamin C and potassium, while almond milk, flax and collagen powder add necessary fiber and protein. Plus, the addition of coconut oil supplies the body with healthy fats in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (which are a terrific fuel and energy source). I topped this smoothie bowl off with fresh dragon fruit and blueberries, but feel free to add toppings such as: sliced almonds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, yogurt or even edible flowers. No matter what combination you come up with, …

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Member Chris finds the uplifting side of type 1 diabetes

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“I am the only 7-fingered diabetic record-holding powerlifter and motivational speaker you know!” Chris (ChrisRuden) says in his profile. He was born with two fingers on his left hand and a shorter left arm. He was bullied in high school, and he struggled with depression, alcohol and drug use. Chris was diagnosed with diabetes at age 20, when he was in college studying law. His diagnosis inspired him to shift his focus to health and wellness (personally and professionally), and he earned a degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University. He runs an online nutrition and fitness coaching business and he published an e-book called The Art of Losing Body Fat. He holds four state records in powerlifting (with one hand)! He is also a motivational speaker who has given talks at schools, businesses and organizations like the American Diabetes Association across the U.S. We recently caught up with Chris about his interests, overcoming adversity and the upshot of his diabetes diagnosis. What are your three favorite things to do? What do you love about them? I love powerlifting, speaking and helping people get in shape! Powerlifting allows me to compete against myself and push my …

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At the #24DaysofGiving halfway point, you can help get us to our goal!

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Just a couple of weeks ago we recognized  #GivingTuesday, a day to celebrate generosity. But this idea of giving back isn’t just about one day – it’s bigger than that. We’re asking you to re-think what it means to give back by donating your health data this December for what we call #24DaysofGiving. And right now, we’re at the pivotal midway point and we wanted to give you an update – you guys are data donation rock stars! Through the health data that everyone is sharing, you’re helping reach our goal of donating up to $20,000 to Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island to help fund life-affirming wishes for seriously ill children. What health data is everyone donating? At this point in the month, you and your community have already contributed: 17,227 treatment reports 68,518 symptom reports 73,203 health outcomes measures In total, you’ve donated 280,610 health data points! The best part is that there’s still a bunch of time left for you to help us reach our goal. Getting started is easy. Just log in, go to your 3-stars page, About Me, or Treatments and do your thing! If it’s true that you get what you give – let’s keep giving good, together. …

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Your data doing good: A collaboration with Walgreens

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During #24DaysofGiving this December, we’re highlighting all the good your health data is doing within – and well beyond – the PatientsLikeMe website. Here’s another great example. Did you know the side effect data you report on your PatientsLikeMe treatment evaluations is helping pharmacy customers understand how the medications they take may affect them, too? It started back in February this year when we kicked off a new collaboration with Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain. The idea was simple; by joining forces, we could help bring your experiences to many more people making treatment decisions. Now anyone researching a medication or filling a prescription on Walgreens.com can see a snapshot of how PatientsLikeMe members have been impacted by that medication, including side effects and their severity. There are currently about 6,000 medications at Walgreens pharmacies where others can learn from your experiences, and the data (de-identified!) is updated daily based on what you report on PatientsLikeMe. This partnership marks the first time a company has displayed your real-world data on their website. Why did they do it? Because your data and experiences can help patients, wherever they are, understand more about the treatments they’re taking, and make more informed …

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RWJF Awards Grant to PatientsLikeMe to Develop New Measures for Healthcare Performance

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Patient Network to Work with the National Quality Forum to Ensure Patients Drive Healthcare Value   CAMBRIDGE, MA., December 8, 2015—PatientsLikeMe has been awarded a $900,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to help jumpstart changes that will amplify the patient voice in the measurement of healthcare performance. A portion of the grant funds a collaboration between PatientsLikeMe and the National Quality Forum (NQF) to develop, test and facilitate the broader use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess patient-reported health status. While PROMs have been used in clinical research, they are rarely used in routine clinical care to assess provider performance. In such settings, performance is primarily assessed by what was done to the patient (using process measures) and what happened to the patient (using clinical outcome measures), but not always by what may be most important to the patient. The grant comes as value-based purchasing is gaining ground in both the public and private sectors, with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) setting aggressive targets for linking performance related to quality, value and patient-centered care to payment. “Measuring what is relevant, useful and actionable for patients has never been more important,” said PatientsLikeMe Co-founder and …

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Your data doing good: The POEM Study

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When you share your health data, we all learn Every minute of every day, people are sharing their health data on PatientsLikeMe. Some of you are focused on tracking how you’re doing over time. Many want to make sure the next person diagnosed can learn from your experience. All are contributing to the greater good, because what you share helps researchers see what patients really need. During #24DaysofGiving this December, we’ll highlight some of the most important things we’ve learned from data that members like you have selflessly shared, and all the good your data donations are doing. Here’s a great example: the POEM Study, which showed that the secret ingredient to managing your health may just be patients like you. PatientsLikeMe was founded on a simple idea: when patients connect with each other and share their experiences, they can learn how to better manage and treat their disease and improve their outcomes. Over the years, members proved this is possible time and again. But would a rigorously-conducted scientific study confirm what we already thought to be true? Our partner UCB wanted to work with us to find out. They helped to build and grow the epilepsy community on PatientsLikeMe …

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PatientsLikeMe Encourages Sharing of Health Data for Good with 2nd Annual “24 Days of Giving”

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The Gift of Health Data Can Help Others, and Advance Research CAMBRIDGE, MASS., December 1, 2015—On this #GivingTuesday, PatientsLikeMe is once again celebrating “the new tradition of generosity” by encouraging people to donate something unusual but vital: their health data. Starting today and continuing for #24DaysofGiving, PatientsLikeMe is asking anyone who is living with a chronic condition to donate their health data after donating to their favorite non-profit. PatientsLikeMe is a patient network that aggregates the health data members share so that others can see what’s working for patients like them, and what’s not. Health data includes information about a disease or condition—how people live with it, what their doctors are doing to treat it, and what it’s like to navigate their health journey. PatientsLikeMe also analyzes the donated data to spot trends in specific diseases and works with partners to incorporate patient-reported evidence in their research. Partners can then create new products and services that are more in tune with what patients experience and need. Michael Evers, Executive Vice President of PatientsLikeMe’s Consumer and Technology Group, said that members donated a record amount of health data last year, the first time the campaign was introduced. “Tens of thousands of …

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#NotAlone Recap: On PatientsLikeMe, no one is alone…

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As our #NotAlone campaign wraps up, we hope you’ve been encouraged by the thoughts and personal stories of how other members have felt less alone by learning, connecting and tracking on the site. We recently had a look at all the member posts in the #NotAlone forum and wanted to share some highlights with you!  “I feel less alone coming here; it also helps me keep track of things in a way I never could before … It helps to know others truly understand, as someone who hasn’t ‘walked in our shoes’ cannot fully understand.” – member living with MS “…we all belong to a group where we have many similar experiences, where physical chronic pain seems to be one of the overwhelmingly major characteristics of what we all experience. That bonds us together as nothing else can. It does make me feel like I’m not alone, that none of us are alone as long as we have each other.” – member living with Fibromyalgia “I have learned more here than I ever imagined possible and I have made friends. Good quality friends that really understand. I have shared with them and they have shared with me … I have …

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#NotAlone: On PatientsLikeMe, no one is alone

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Our co-founder Jamie Heywood calls it “the big idea my brother inspired.” A community of people learning from each other’s shared health experiences, connecting with people who get what they’re going through, and tracking their journeys to inform new research and help others understand what might work best for them. That is PatientsLikeMe, and that is what Stephen Heywood inspired. Today, more than 350,000 members are part of the community, and through learning, connecting and tracking, they are #NotAlone. Over the next few weeks, we’re launching the #NotAlone campaign that’s all about how members continue to learn from and support one another through life-changing conditions. What can you expect to see from #NotAlone? We’ll be featuring some inspirational stories to show how members have felt less alone on their journeys. Here’s a preview into the #NotAlone experiences of Letitia, Nola, and Geof: After Letitia learned about an epileptologist on the site and discovered she was a perfect candidate for surgery, she’s been seizure free for 3 years. When Nola’s multiple sclerosis kept her from accessing her shower, Gary, a member she connected with in the forum, stepped in to help from 3,000 miles away. Geof uses Adderall to combat multiple …

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Data donations make wishes come true

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Back in December 2014, the PatientsLikeMe community donated 450,000 health data points during the 24 Days of Giving campaign, and a special thanks to everyone who participated and have continued to donate their data for good. Every donation made wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions, and on behalf of the community, PatientsLikeMe made a $20,000 donation to Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which helped Keith and Scarlett take a break from aggressive and uncomfortable treatments and doctors’ visits to go on faraway adventures with their families. Read about their stories below: Keith When 17-year-old Keith was diagnosed with lymphoma, his life was forever changed. Instead of fishing and playing sports, like he used to before he got sick, he now spends time in hospitals, enduring uncomfortable treatments. Keith longed to take a break from doctor’s visits and have a carefree vacation with his family; he wished to tour the Hawaiian Islands with his family on a Norwegian Cruise. The PatientsLikeMe community made this happen! Once aboard the cruise ship, the crystal clear waters mesmerized Keith, as they took him to the Hawaiian islands of Kahului, Hilo, Kona, and Nawiliwili. Each new island provided a new world to explore. Keith and his family …

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