My Health Story 2022 Survey Outcome Report
My Health Story (MHS) is a platform that empowers patients to manage and track their health data, including symptoms, treatments, and appointments.
This white paper summarises the data relating to the benefits of patient self-management of health information using MHS, as reported by both patients and health practitioners.
In 2022, MHS conducted the survey, Tell us How You Really Feel inviting subscribers of MHS and guests who have been invited to view information by a patient or client. The survey consisted of 15 questions and sought to gather user experience information about to the platform’s ease of use, ability to connect patients and health teams, and impact on patient stress levels, among other topics.
Results indicate that MHS is a valuable tool for patient self-management of health data, aiding in establishing a connection between patients and health teams, and reducing patient stress levels. The results also suggested that self-management of health data can also lead to more personalised care by being able to take into account the patient’s unique needs and preferences.
The results also highlight the importance of user-friendly and customisable health systems to improve patient engagement and self-efficacy, communication and collaboration with healthcare providers, and patient knowledge and awareness.
MHS is pleased to present the data from the survey within two sections; Subscribers using MHS to manage their health stories, and guests invited to use MHS to view patient/client health stories.
Feedback is welcome.
Introduction:
My Health Story (MHS) is a platform that enables patients to manage and track their health data, including symptoms, treatments, and appointments, through its web-based platform and hand-held App. MHS aims to empower patients to be more engaged in their health management and enable health teams to provide more personalised care.
This white paper collates the findings of a survey conducted with patients and health practitioners using MHS, and focuses on the benefits of patient self-management of health data for the patient and their health team. The paper also references external background literature which supports the findings of the survey.
A Medium article by Pictal Health (2021) highlights some common frustrations expressed by patients that can be addressed by self-management tools. These frustrations include difficulty in tracking symptoms and medications, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of health information, and feeling disempowered in the healthcare system.
By providing patients with a platform to easily track and manage their health data, self-management tools like MHS can alleviate these frustrations and help patients feel more empowered in their healthcare journey.
Background and Literature Review:
Self-management tools like MHS can ease patients’ frustrations and challenges with traditional healthcare systems.
Katie McCurdy’s study, Learning From Complex Patients and the Providers Who Treat Them presents various data about the way in which patients and their care teams communicate.
Patients expressed frustrations (see below) with the lack of clear communication and information from their healthcare providers, as well as the difficulty of managing and tracking their health data. Self-management tools like MHS can help address these frustrations by providing patients with a user-friendly and accessible platform to manage their health data, connect with their healthcare team, feel more in control of their health management and avoid fragmented care.
Methodology:
The survey was conducted with patients who are living with a chronic illness and who are subscribed to MHS, with health practitioners and carers who were invited to view a health story/stories, and subscribers of the MHS Affiliate system. MHS offers both online and hand-held App versions that syncs user data. The health information is shared via a private url the subscriber generates with the MHS Access Token system.
The survey was distributed through various channels, including social media, email, and personal networks. The inquiry collected quantitative data from a total of 19 participants, including eight practitioners/caregivers and 11 patients by asking 15 questions relating to the ease of use of MHS, its ability to connect patients and health teams, easing patient stress levels, and its influence on tailoring care among other topics.
Results:
The survey results find MHS to be a helpful tool in managing and tracking health data, whether through the web platform or the app. The overall results of the survey were positive, with an average score of 88% for how useful MHS was in managing health.
The majority of respondents (80-100%) found MHS to be easy to use, and would recommend it to others, while 60-80% of patients felt that the platform was made for them. Patients found it most helpful to have their information readily available on the platform, view their complete medical information, and not have to repeat themselves during appointments with one subscriber finding the process of filling in information difficult.
The survey revealed that patients had different goals in mind when they joined MHS. Some patients wanted to have medical information in one place, while others wanted to track their health or see how the platform could help them manage their health better.
Patients also found MHS to be effective in connecting them with their health team, alleviating stress during appointments and feeling more supported having the platform.
2022 Survey Results: Subscribers using MHS to manage their health stories
What has been most helpful?
2022 Survey Results: Guests invited to use MHS to view patient health story/stories
How little (0%), or how much (100%)can MHS help you connect with the patient?
How little, or how much couldMHS help overall?
How easy was it to use MHS?
What has been most helpful?
How little, or how much could My Health Story help you gain a better understanding of a patient’s situation?
How little, or how much can MHS help you feel supported by the initiative patients showed?
How little, or how much could MHS help you gain a better understanding?
Discussion:
The survey has some limitations that should be acknowledged. Firstly, the survey is based on self-reported data, which is subject to response bias. Secondly, the sample size of the survey is relatively small, and there may be sampling bias, as the survey was distributed through social media, email, and personal networks.
The results of the survey demonstrate that patient self-management of health data through tools like MHS can provide a range of benefits to both patients and healthcare providers. The ease of use of the web platform and app, the ability to establish connections between patients and health teams, and the reduction of patient stress levels were all highlighted as key benefits of MHS by survey respondents.
Importantly, the survey results suggest that the use of self-management tools like MHS can lead to more personalised care that takes into account the patient’s unique needs and preferences. By tracking and managing their own health data, patients can share this information with their health team, leading to tailored care that aligns with the patient’s values, lifestyle, and preferences.
The survey results are consistent with previous research that has found that patient self-management of health data can improve patient engagement, self-efficacy, and communication and collaboration with healthcare providers. Furthermore, the survey results are consistent with patient experiences, which indicate that tools like MHS can help alleviate common frustrations with traditional healthcare systems, such as difficulty in tracking symptoms and medications and feeling disempowered in the healthcare system.
