FIRST THOUGHT: Checking in on Checkups
Have you ever felt like you know your UPS guy better than your own doctor? Many health-care professionals devote as much time as they can to their patients but are often overbooked and overworked. What that means is you’ve got to find your voice and not be afraid to speak up with your doctors, nurses and other health-care workers to ensure your concerns are addressed. When you’re sitting pretty much buck naked in a backless cotton gown, you just want to be done with the whole thing. Instead of rushing through your doctors’ appointments, be an empowered patient. Enter the room with a written list of questions or even a full statement for your doctor. You’ll feel more confident and won’t mince words. If the doctor responds dismissively, reiterate your concerns. Just like that dreaded backless gown, you’ll totally rock it, girl!
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: $150 Billion
From being unable to find child care or someone to cover you at work when you need to visit the doctor, there are a number of reasons people miss medical appointments. But all those missed appointments add up and have quite an impact on the overall health-care system in the U.S. According to Referral MD, inefficiencies in scheduling and patient no-shows cost the United States health-care system a staggering $150 billion every year.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Anjali Kataria, CEO of Mytonomy
Today’s Woman to Watch, the savvy Anjali Kataria, is employing her two decades of health-care and technology experience to empower patients and deliver better health outcomes. Anjali is the head boss lady at Mytonomy, which aims to demystify health care and the way we go about receiving treatment.
In order to understand the real benefits of Mytonomy, let’s look at an example of a typical medical visit. A patient arrives at the hospital for a procedure and may have gotten the bulk of information about the procedure from a printout from her doctor’s office or some details provided over the phone by a nurse. Maybe she also sought info on an internet forum or from her co-workers. But, in general, she’s probably not gotten the most specific, helpful info about her condition and the procedure she’s about to undergo.
But with Mytonomy, that patient would access the user-centric online system to read or watch, step by step, how to prepare for the procedure, what to expect at the hospital and so on. Anjali says nearly anyone can use the system with zero training, from 70-year-olds with little computer experience to those with middle-school-level literacy. They say knowledge is power, and there’s no doubt that when it comes to your health—the thing that literally dictates your life while also costing plenty—this couldn’t be more true.
Remember how costly and damaging patient no-shows can be? With Mytonomy, health-care facilities have seen a reduction in patient no-shows, with some even reducing their no-show rate from 50 percent to a mere 7 percent.
If anyone knows how to make tech and health-care work together seamlessly, it’s Anjali. Prior to Mytonomy, she worked as the senior tech advisor and entrepreneur-in-residence in the Obama administration and at the Food and Drug Administration, earning the FDA Commissioner’s Award for Innovation, and was also named one of the Top 100 Life Sciences Visionaries.
If you’re wondering whether your own entrepreneurial idea is pioneering, Anjali has a simple trick for you. She says you know your product is good when people learn about it and respond with, “Wow, I can’t believe I never thought of that!”
QUITE THE QUOTE
With Mytonomy and Anjali Kataria in mind, today’s quote comes from the co-founder of the Hospital Corporation of America, Dr. Thomas Frist:
“Take care of the patient and everything else will follow.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.