A recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals the importance of recording data on the daily lives of patients — such as sleep, diet, excercise, mood and medication compliance. This data, which the report calls Observations of Daily Living (ODL), gives both clinicians and patients a fuller picture of their health and help them to make everyday health decisions.
The value of recording a patient’s daily activities is not new. When my 97-year-old grandmother became ill her caregivers recorded her daily activities in a journal that was kept on the kitchen table. We could see how much Grandma slept, what she ate, if she had any exercise, when she had her medications, and if she was having a 1 or 5-star day.
My grandmother’s simple health journal was the model for the journal and wellness charts within RememberItNow! Notes can quickly be recorded throughout the day by either the patient or the caregiver.
We’ve used Grandma’s star system too. Patients or caregivers record how they are feeling using the five-star system. When charted, this data reveals wellness trends.
Grandma’s kitchen was the central coordination point for her care. We’d come for a visit, and have a look at the journal to see how she was feeling. For many families today, the Internet has replaced the family kitchen as a means to stay in touch. Through the private care community on RememberItNow! family and friends anywhere in the world, can stop in and see how the patient is doing.
Recording daily activities has always been important to understanding a patient’s health. Today’s technology simply formalizes the process.
Tags: assisted living, Healthcare, managing medication, personal health record, rememberitnow, seniors
