My Notes Medical is an exciting new project which help to improve patient care in the future and protect people from avoidable clinical blunders by keeping accurate records of their treatment by taking written, audio and visual notes at the click of a button. Please click on the heading link to watch Joanna’s video and see images of the app.
What is the problem we are trying to solve?
Imagine not understanding what your doctor or consultant is saying to you; your consultant showing little interest in your explanation of your symptoms; being unable to remember your diagnosis or treatment and having no notes on your condition to refer to. Or having to care for a loved one with no history or information to go on.
That is the harsh reality for many of us. It is an alarming fact that few patients understand their medical care – with the result that they suffer needlessly, doctors are over-worked, mistakes are made and the NHS wastes billions a year.
While the problem has been recognised and some effort has been made to solve it, all too often the solution has been developed by medical professionals for the ‘benefit’ of patients but NOT by patients themselves and NOT from a patient’s perspective. This is where we come in.
How will we solve the problem?
With the help of patients like you we will develop the MyNotes Medical app and online program to improve communication between patients, those caring for relatives, GPs and the NHS. Patients using the program will be more able to understand their symptoms, diagnosis, and medical instructions, and carers will be more able to help their loved ones.
Improved communication and information sharing will have a positive impact on treatment and outcomes and will reduce costly mistakes.
Who is MyNotes Medical for?
MyNotes Medical is for everyone who wants to improve their healthcare or to manage the medical care of a loved one or friend. It is for those that want to be “informed, involved and engaged in getting better”.
Patients and carers can use the MyNotes Medical app to make text, video, audio and photo notes while at the surgery or in a consultation or soon after, that automatically save directly to their personal MyNotes Medical event log, which is secure and visible only to them.
They can then add personal information and details of their treatment and medications, and can easily refer to and share an accurate record of what was said, by whom and when, as their treatment progresses.
This allows them to record, review and research their healthcare issues between visits to the doctor or consultant, and share the consultation/diagnosis with friends and family. Something that is rarely done and yet is crucial for effective treatment and outcomes for all patients whatever their age or condition.
www.mynotesmedical.com
‘In the context of the current healthcare setting we are all required to be partners in patient care. MyNotes Medical offers the opportunity for a streamlined cohesive approach to patient centred, and personalised care. As healthcare professionals we have a responsibility to support and advocate patient choice. This unique tool will enhance the patient experience and facilitate us in offering the best care that we can.’
Clinical Nurse Specialist St Marks Hospital.
MyNotes Medical will be an invaluable tool for carers and families as well as patients and their GPs and consultants.
Imagine caring for a loved one at home or in hospital, who needs all of your attention. Imagine too, that while the doctors are asking you questions about your loved one’s history, members of your family are continually wanting updates from you as well.
Everyone wants detailed information from you on what has happened, what is happening right now, what is going to happen next and what the general outlook is. But you don’t understand everything that the medical professionals are asking or saying to you, no one seems to have access to your loved one’s medical history and you are worried that you may generalise, delete or distort something critical when telling people what they need to know.
With MyNotes Medical, recording and sharing this critical information is much easier, far more accurate and complete – for everyone to understand.
How will this help?
There is plenty of evidence in the NHS that poor communication is the main cause of errors in diagnosis and treatment. If we can encourage and enable the taking and sharing of notes by patients, with the support and encouragement of GPs and consultants, we can reduce time wasted and errors in communication.
MyNotes Medical is a tool that can be used to improve medical care and practise by simply getting patients, carers and medical professionals to listen, discuss and share vital information in a way that is understood by everyone.
What is the business model and what will we do with the funding?
We have developed the basic concept and have designed the online programme and the app. Now we need to make the app and launch the programme. Through online research and product testing we aim to have the best possible programme within three months.
We will use the funds we raise to produce the designs for testing, make the app and online programme, make tweaks, test the idea with patients, GPs and physicians, develop the marketing campaign and get ready for launch.
Our plan is to charge patients, carers and medical professionals an annual fee of £24 for unlimited personal use of the MyNotes Medical app, online programme and secure servers and to find partners and sponsors to fund our marketing in order to get as many users as possible. The more users we have the lower the cost will be for you, patients and carers
How you can help
We would be delighted to have your pledge. We are a small voluntary group committed to helping patients and carers protect themselves against medical mistakes and get the best possible medical care. We cannot make the app and program without funding. That is why we need your help. If you wish you can also join our Patients Panel and take part in research to help us get MyNotes Medical as good as it can be.
You can also help us by
Spreading the word, using the hashtag #MyNotes Medical
Asking your friends and family to support us on Crowdfunder
Following me on twitter @joannaslater and ‘like’ my Facebook page www.facebook.com/mynotesmedical
You can use my blog mynotesmedical.wordpress.com to tell us about your experiences with your GP and the NHS
You can tell your GP or Consultant about our programme and ask them to support us
If you or your organisation wish to support the campaign, or to provide any other assistance, please contact us by email at info@mynotesmedical.com
Please support our campaign for the benefit of you, your loved ones, patients and carers everywhere
Together we can make a difference
Thank you
Joanna
Who are we?
We each have a personal experience where poor communication had a major consequence in medical care and wanted to do something to stop it happening to others. We have teamed up to combine our 70 years professional experience in business development, marketing, communication, app and web design and technology solutions to manage the project from concept through launch to a national program for patients across the UK.
Joanna Slater – Founder, marketing and social media
When my mother had a hip operation and later fell ill, I started writing notes as a reminder of all the things that were happening to her. Gradually those notes became a blog. The Mail on Sunday picked up on my story and published extracts of my notes, then everything changed for me.
I received 1000’s of emails from people saying they wished they had taken notes and the difference it would have made. Using some of their stories and my own, I self-published a book “The Last Six Months” and continued to expand my blog to raise awareness of the importance of getting involved in medical care.
I am committed to the cause of improving patient care and believe that mynotes medical will lead to more effective communication between patients, their carers, doctors and physicians – the key to better treatment. I am on a quest to create a patient-led programme with Brad and John that will help everyone become more engaged in their medical care and be more effective in helping others.
Brad Meyer – co-founder, business development
When my father went into hospital, the matter-of-factness of his treatment was comforting. then it became disturbing as his health deteriorated. I felt he was seen as a number, a project, an experiment – but almost never as a person.
I wanted to intervene but I felt unsure how I could do so constructively. Despite my 25 years coaching others and managing change using technology, I felt I could not make a positive impact. I did not understand the medical terminology, I could not talk to anyone about his condition. And I was left only able to care for my father emotionally as we watched him go.
Afterwards, I stepped back and began with Joanna and John to create MyNotes Medical to help others become engaged in their own medical care or the care of a loved one. So that they can do more than I was able to do for my father.
John Wisbey – design
I come from a family of doctors, physicians and surgeons. All tell me how little time there is these days to spend on diagnosis and care and how difficult it is for patients to follow their treatment. If only there was a better way to communicate and patients were more involved in their medical care.
Working with Joanna and Brad we have developed a website and app based programme specifically for patients. A programme patients will use… and critically will be welcomed by the medical profession.
A simple solution accessible to all, even those with basic technology skills. We believe an active partnership between patients and clinicians rather than patients being the passive recipients of care will benefit everyone and see MyNotes Medical as an important tool to help achieve it.
Peter Michelsen – technology
When John introduced me to Joanna, Brad and MyNotes Medical I could immediately see that it would be an invaluable tool for patients and their families.
Having seen the volume of information sent to patients, like my own wife and mother, it is easy to understand how keeping track of all that medical information can become overwhelming.
This confusion can lead to lost information and misunderstandings, which is unacceptable when important decisions need to be made over treatment and care. I know from my own experience as a digital developer that personal technology is the ideal platform to empower patients to keep their own record and share vital information with family and friends.
Please PLEDGE
This project will only be funded if at least £20,000 is pledged by 8:10am 17th August 2015
