When there is turnover in health care or caregiving staff, or when existing staff are overextended due to personnel shortages, even the most skilled healthcare professionals can inadvertently overlook their patients’ needs. Worse, when a patient is transferred between caregivers or caregiving facilities, critical information can fall even further between the proverbial health care cracks. 

Narrative Medicine

The importance of “narrative medicine” in healthcare is growing as a way to bridge the gap between the patient and the system. By documenting a patient’s preferences, needs, and accomodations in a way that tells their individual “story,” the narrative complements the medical record and travels with the person wherever they receive care.

Medical facilities around the country have been implementing various narrative medicine platforms over the past several years , but there isn’t one standard platform for capturing this information. 

This is where Cognitopia can really shine in terms of accommodating those receiving professional medical care. 

MyLife ePortfolio

To begin, when patients use the multimedia-rich MyLife ePortfolio tool to capture their interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and needs, they can easily give caregivers and healthcare professionals an in-depth look into who they are as a human being. This format provides a platform where two people can transform a professional relationship into a meaningful and personal one.

For example, an individual with sensory sensitivity may not react well to open windows, loud noises, or sudden movements. MyLife makes it easy to post information explaining triggering events, allowing the patient to describe in their own words why this upsets them, what accommodations or solutions they prefer, and what has worked well in the past. Having this information available before an appointment sets the stage for success and building trust during an office appointment or home visit. 

To complement the patient-centered ePortfolio, individuals can create digital goals and routines within their Cognitopia accounts that provide reminders to take medicine, complete physical therapy, or complete personal hygiene regimens. In addition, uploading photos and videos either taken or selected by the patient and their doctor offers a customizability not found on a static pamphlet or visit summary sheet. Better yet, digital goals and routines are portable, accessible, and environmentally friendly. 

For more info on Cognitopia, visit https://www.cognitopia.com.

Carly Lathrop

Carly Lathrop is a content creator and social media specialist for Cognitopia. She is a small-business owner with a background in product development, fulfillment, and customer support.