The time we’ve been spending in the exam room shadowing clinicians and patients has been invaluable. But it’s also important that we observe how consumers are using HIT applications in their homes–after all, for most people, more than 99% of the time they are outside of traditional care delivery settings. For that reason, we have done things like shadowing consumers using PHRs in their homes and described our own experiences in using PHRs.

Of course, there are other tools besides PHRs that consumers use to manage their health. One striking example of the potential power of such tools is Brad’s Blog–a community support tool that friends of someone diagnosed with leukemia built.* In Brad’s case, his AML required a bone marrow transplant, about as serious a procedure as one can imagine. In his case, the electronic virtual social network was all the more important because he wasn’t allowed to see most visitors during the time that he was seriously immuno-compromised.

The blog served multiple purposes, and it was a great way to maintain and communicate information of all kinds. Undoubtedly, however, the greatest value was in creating an enormously powerful and inspiring source of social support for someone going through a great personal health struggle. What was amazing from following it over the last year was not only what it meant to him but also what it meant to his caregivers, family, and friends.

*Note: Brad said it was fine to discuss his blog here.

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