This excerpt from the award-winning book “Mom’s Cancer” by Brian Fies expresses the provider/patient communication gap so well, we got permission to show it to you here.

Used by permission. Copyright© 2006 by Brian Fies.
If you’d like to know more about this book visit http://www.momscancer.com. Or go to Amazon.com  

Patients don’t know how to help health care providers help them. Sometimes it seems like they speak a different language. You wonder: What should I tell the doctor or the nurse? What questions should I ask? Should I call the nurse now? Is it normal to feel this way? Am I getting better or worse? And then there’s the inevitable “Oops, there’s one thing I forgot to ask the doctor…now that my appointment is over.”

BrightOutcome helps you report your symptoms to your providers in the right language, using terms they can work with. When you report a certain symptom we also link you up with reliable educational information that helps you get smart quickly. Our system lets you create a history of your treatment, symptoms and side effects, which you can view together and discuss with your caregiver, family and provider. Just print it out and you’re prepared for your next appointment! 

Click here for more detail on your BrightOutcome Treatment Tracker.

A word about the word “outcome”
Treatment for a chronic condition like cancer or HIV involves a series of what the medical field calls “outcomes’ in a continuum of care. Nausea is an unpleasant outcome of chemotherapy.  Getting rid of nausea through medication or other measures is a positive outcome. Good communication with your provider can result in positive outcomes, like physical or emotional relief, better functioning and ability to live your life. That’s why we’ve named our company “BrightOutcome.”