49. Patients as Partners with Geri Lynn Baumblatt

Geri Lynn Baumblatt, MA, has worked in health literacy, patient education, technology, and patient, family, and clinician experience for over 20 years. She co-founded the Difference Collaborative & Difference Collaborative Alliance, which supports family caregivers. Geri serves as the Chief Engagement Officer at Docola, a social good health tech company with a free patient education and communication platform. She also serves on the Patient Experience Policy Forum, the American Telemedicine Assoc ORCHA team, and was recently appointed to PCORI’s Patient Engagement Advisory Panel. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• The importance of raising awareness on difficult experiences of caregiving
• How employers and health professionals can support individuals who serve as caregivers
• The understated issues related to equity for caregivers
• Resources available to patients and caregivers on the Docola website

In this episode...

Geri shares her expertise in patient advocacy, engagement, and education, as well as her personal experience as a caregiver for her beloved father.

Family members who serve as caregivers often do not recognize the heaviness of this role. As a result, they may not identify the need or know how to ask for help. With most of one’s time spent at work, employers need to be proactive in cultivating a culture of support. Moreover, clinicians should consider the impact of caregiving on their patients’ wellbeing.

Complex circumstances surrounding caregiving presents the issue of inequity. It is imperative that patients and caregivers can access resources to improve engagement and build relationships with health providers.

In this episode of the Patient Partner Innovation Community podcast, Desiree Bradley is joined by Geri Lynn Baumblatt, Chief Engagement Officer at Docola, to raise awareness on the difficulties of providing hands-on care for loved ones.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Difference Collaborative – A non-profit and LLC website co-founded by Geri

Docola – A free patient education and communication platform