Patient Spotlight – Getting loved ones and caregivers involved in your healthcare journey

Our Patient Spotlight Series allows us to share stories from people in our community who have used PocketHealth to make positive changes in their lives. This week, we talk to Aileen, a cancer patient whose husband signed her up for the service to keep himself informed at a time when COVID-19 restrictions forced him to miss many of her appointments 

—

What brought you to PocketHealth?

In 2018, I was diagnosed with when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. We then found that it was metastatic when they found a tumour in my brain. My husband discovered the site while I was in the process of being diagnosed. We were in London and we saw a poster on the wall. We signed up so we both could follow my journey and see all the tests, scans, X-rays, MRIs and whatever else I needed done. With COVID protocols, he couldn’t come to many of my appointments, but with PocketHealth, at least he could see what the doctors were talking about on my scans.

Have you found that it has been useful for the two of you?

Yes. When my doctors are talking about my various tumours and health indicators that they see, my husband can relate to what they’re talking about. If there have been no changes or things are moving in a positive direction, he’s very appreciative that he can also see that.

Has access to your imaging helped you feel more in control of your health?

I don’t know if it’s about control, but I do think I have a better understanding of my health. You can follow where they’re going as your doctors explain to you what they want to do to help improve your quality of life and your health.

Have you found the platform to be user friendly?

It is, but it would be nice if more hospitals had it! 

What sort of patients do you think would get the most use out of PocketHealth?

For us, it has been helpful just to monitor my progress through my cancer journey and see where things are at or how they have improved. Two years ago, I had a brain tumour removed. With PocketHealth, we were able to see where the tumor was, then we’ve seen new images since and  we can see it’s no longer there. It was a relief to actually get to see that for myself. You get a fuller understanding of what the doctor is telling you and then when you actually take a look, it makes sense.

Has having access to those images allowed you take different steps to help improve your condition?

To some extent, but it’s more the communication with your doctors and medical staff that has gotten better. I can ask more questions like, ‘OK, well what if we do this’ or ‘Why are we doing that treatment instead of this treatment?’, based on what I’ve seen. 

How would you describe your PocketHealth experience?

To us, it has been a really positive thing. Just being able to follow your journey and the processes you’re going through with cancer. You’re able to follow along at a better rate than you would just sitting there listening to the doctor talk to you. This way you can actually see what’s going on and get a better understanding of it.

Is there anything we can do to make the service better?

No, I think what you’re doing is awesome. Like I said, I would just love to see more hospitals onboard. That way, regardless of where we go for tests, that information would be there and we could access my reports from anywhere.

—

PocketHealth is putting hundreds of thousands of patients just like Aileen back in charge of their healthcare journey by giving them easy online access to all their medical imaging and making it a breeze to share this information with doctors and care providers around the world. Access your medical imaging and records by clicking on this link.