Posted by ImproveCareNow™ on April 16, 2012
Recognizing the importance of the work of ImproveCareNow and the C3N Project, the Wall Street Journal has published a major article today, in print and online, describing innovative approaches developed by the C3N Project for patients and families in the ImproveCareNow Network.
The ImproveCareNow Network has already raised the bar for the standard of care in pediatric IBD. “We were very focused on improving outcomes, but we were doing it without families. Until parents and patients are true partners, you can’t get the best outcomes,” says Richard Colletti, MD. The bar is set to rise again – to see if even better outcomes can be achieved with the engagement of patients and families as partners.
The idea is to go from a system that focuses on clinicians and what they are prescribing to one where patients and families can contribute new ideas to how to treat their diseases. Enter the C3N Project, which is building the first prototype Collaborative Chronic Care Network (C3N) by helping to transform the established ImproveCareNow Network of pediatric gastroenterologists into a C3N in which clinicians, researchers and patients and families with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis collaborate to improve care and outcomes.
The C3N Project has developed 22 unique innovations. Several are currently being tested by patients in the ImproveCareNow Network at some of the 33 participating care centers. “We want the doctors and patients to do experiments together,” says Michael Seid, PhD, who, with Peter Margolis, MD, PhD, are the Principal Investigators of the C3N Project.
Emily Brandt, a 20-year old student from the University of Michigan who has ulcerative colitis, is testing the N:1 innovation with ImproveCareNow physician leader Dr. Jeremy Adler. As part of N:1, Emily responds to daily text messages and then reviews the aggregate data with Dr. Adler every two weeks. Emily has already learned that granola bars do not, in fact, help control her symptoms as she once thought; and she and Dr. Adler are currently investigating a possibility that antibiotics might have an effect on her symptoms.
To read the full WSJ article online, click here. To read more ImproveCareNow patient stories and about C3N Project innovations you can visit Health Blog – WSJ’s blog on health and the business of health.