Keeping my patients well educated and uptodate with everything they need to know about their illness is a very important part of my practice. Knowledgeable patients do better on treatment, are less anxious about their illness, and tend to he happier overall in my experience. Having content, well informed patients in my practice also means I tend to get home a bit earlier in the evening. That’s good too.
I have been lucky enough to be working with a new healthcare company called Clear.md over the last few months who have provided a platform which allows health care professionals to record and display medical educational video content online. I believe that this platform will be the new Youtube for reliable, Doctor provided healthcare information.
I have recorded 33 video’s to date (with many more to come) all of which address specific questions about rheumatic disease which are asked of me every day of the week. They’re mercifully short (most less than 60 seconds) and I hope that you find them helpful.
You will notice that there is a ‘Vidscription’ section (ie a Video ‘prescription’) on the site where I have grouped videos on a certain topic together. For example, where I start a patient on a drug like Methotrexate, I will be able to email them a link to a collection of videos all about the drug.
In time, I hope to put all of the information I provide to patients online on this platform.
Over the coming weeks, I shall be doing lots of recording and am seeking suggestions on questions all of you would like answered. Please feel free to post them in the comments box below.
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I hate taking mtx I’m nauseous n tired after it. I also take sulfalazine n enbrel. Is there any alternatives to mtx. Please note I take injection form take folic acid n zofran but still find it difficult to cope with side effects of mtx. I have two young kids n it’s v hard. Thanks
Thats a great question – ie if you can’t tolerate Methotrexate and you are to go on a biologic like Enbrel, what other meds can you try. I will do a video on that. I will also do something on injectable methotrexate. Thanks for the suggestion Elaine.
What about something on OT and joint preservation? or orthotics for sore feet?
Hi Ronan
The videos are great & just what we were looking to create for our patients. Thanks for putting me in contact with Clear.MD. We’ll hopefully make our videos in the coming months, and will likely have to make some on topics very, very similar to yours! Don’t think we can ever match your on-screen persona & charisma….
I shall be looking for inspiration from yours Irwin! Make sure you don’t script them. Just speak to camera like you would to your patients. Be prepared to make a bit of a fool of yourself too – and hold on to the bloopers. We’d all love to see them!
Ronan
I am sure your information videos will be a great success. Unfortunately not all medical professionals think like you do. In my experience public health nurses and occupational therapists react very badly to somebody who is well informed about their medical conditions. They will use the fact that you are knowledgeable against you. Sometimes in order to get what I require from them. I have to act really stupid.
The way medical professionals are trained to interact with their patients will have to change. Anyway that’s my rant over.
Good luck with your project!
Anna
That’s terrible Anna. If I look back to medial student days and saw ow patients were spoken to then by doctors, I think things have changed a lot but I agree that things need to improve.You have articulated your frustrations well in your blog. Don’t give up the fight!
Hi Ronan,
I’ve been told to stop Humira if I have to go on antibiotics but recently I was given a course a couple of days after my fortnightly injection and my GP told me I needed to go on them straight away for an infected toe. It’s improved but feel it’s still grumbling and the course is finished now. I’m getting it checked out again just before my next injection early next week but wondered what is the issue with antibiotics and anti tnf drugs?
Hi Tracey. The issue with biologic drugs and antibiotics isn’t so much with an interaction with the antibiotics themselves but with infection. I usually advice my patients on biologics with an infection bad enough to require an anitbiotic is to skip a dose (or stay off the biologic til they are better).
After taking enbrel injection for 4 years which worked really well, it didn’t work for me anymore :( My Rheumatologist changed my medication to Rituximab (infusion). I was given Hydrocotisone in the vein first, so as to prevent any reactions to Rituximab. BUT, after only a couple of ml of Hydrocortisone in my vein, I started to get a bad reaction from it :( I’ve gone all red, had itchy hands, feet, tongue, ears, couldn’t breath, been vomiting, gone blind for few minutes, faint & felt like dying :( I was so sure, I was gonna die that day. I wasn’t given Rituximab anymore for doctor’s fear that I might have a reaction. They can not understand why I had reaction w/ Hydrocortisone, as this is the drug they use to prevent any reactions :( Can you pls. explain?
After 2 weeks, my Rheumatologist tried the same procedure again & promised me that she is confident that I will not have any reaction this time. But same thing happened :( I had reaction to Hydrocortisone again :( So treatment had to stop… I was only having problems with both my wrists. But now that I haven’t got any medications for RA, except Methotrexate for few months now, my jaws, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, knees, feet & toes have now been affected w/ RA. My husband has to help me take a shower, get dress, comb my hair & everything. It’s so demeaning :( I am presently taking Oramorph for pain while waiting for a safe & suitable drug. But while waiting I am getting worse :( I’m 48 years old.
Hi Daisy. I’m sorry you have had such a rough time. The problem you present isn’t straightforward. Please understand that as I’m not your doctor that I can’t advise you directly. What I plan to do however some info video’s on steroids, their side effects and also something about possible steroid allergies (although I’m not suggesting that that is your problem). Perhaps also something about treatment options after drugs like Enbrel.
I’d like to see videos on Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, and on scleraderma what is it, how you treat it etc. Also maybe a video on remedies for bursitis as well. Love the blog, love the videos. They’re very helpful. (Not that my rheumatologist isn’t great, he is, but education is a great thing).
Ronan, your videos are great, and as CEO of clear.md I’m inspired to see patients interacting with you in this forum. It’s truly the future of patient/provider interaction! Thank you!