Hundreds of healthcare IT professionals have offered their support to Kathy as she begins cancer treatment.
Several non-profits have contacted us with educational materials and helpful tools.
One of the most useful is the Cancer Planner from Cancer101.org . Cancer 101 provides the tools and resources that patients and caregivers need to make sense of the overwhelming information and difficult emotions that accompany a cancer diagnosis.
Thanks to CEO Sarah Krug and her staff for sending it.
The Planner contains:
*How to use the Planner and Four Important Things You Need to Know
*Personalize Your Planner
*Notes
*One-year Calendar Planner
*Ten-year Follow-up Calendar Planner
*Address Book
*Medical History & Appointment Tracker
*Symptoms Tracker
*Medical Bills and Insurance Tracker
*Helpful Advice for the Diagnosed and Their Caregivers
*National Cancer Resources
*Questions to Ask Your Doctor by Cancer.Net
*Dictionary of Cancer Terms by the National Cancer Institute
*What Is a Clinical Trial? by the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups
*Become a Lifesaver
Kathy describes this Planner as the perfect addition to her Personal Health Record and the hospital's Electronic Health Record since it enables her to document her thoughts and experiences in a way that complements the objective healthcare data gathered during the care process.
We plan to use the Planner document symptoms of nausea/fatigue so that we can provide feedback to the clinicians providing Kathy with supportive medication.
As I said in last week's Cancer Journey post, the initial diagnostic phase can be anxiety provoking and confusing.
The Planner brings order to the process. That's cool.