Member since January 2024
Dana E. Sherwin is the founder of The Thinking Patient LLC, a professional services firm providing consulting, speaking, and training resources to support and enhance patient-physician communication. She has served in health care executive and consultant positions throughout her 35-year career. In prior roles, Dana has worked in hospitals, managed care plans, and three of the largest public accounting/management consulting firms in the U.S.A. She holds a Master of Health Services Administration degree from the University of Michigan's School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dana is currently a volunteer advisor with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, and a member of the 2025 Journal of Patient Experience Editorial Review Board.
Helping people communicate better with doctors and engage fully in their health care. Creating resources for healthcare organizations to support efforts to improve the patient experience. We are all patients.
No one likes going to doctors, whether it is once a year or once a month. But it’s important. We are all patients at different points in our lives. People who are engaged in their care tend to have better outcomes. While I was going through a chronic illness that was destined to shorten my life, I realized that the more I engaged in my care, the more I got out of my care. When I prepared in advance of every appointment, asked my doctor questions, and shared my story, doctors would enthusiastically respond to my need to know more and take care of myself. With this focus, I felt more motivated and confident. And, that by working more effectively with doctors, I could drive my own recovery. I had a clearer understanding of how to manage my medical issues and drugs, and monitor my progress through my health data. Using my experience as a former healthcare executive of over 35 years and an engaged patient, I now focus my work on how to align patient and doctor goals and help people communicate better with doctors.
My life’s course and understanding of my health would all change with the diagnosis of a chronic blood cancer disorder (a type of Myeloproliferative Neoplasm or MPN) and the likelihood of a sharply decreased lifespan. I was determined to figure out how to increase my chances of living longer than my genetics suggested. A large part of this plan would include taking a more active role in my health by working more deliberatively with doctors and hospitals in an effort to boost my chances for improved health and extended life. Once I accepted my diagnosis and this new reality, I found a way to manage my health productively and proactively. This has allowed me to develop a body of knowledge and strategies related to patient-physician communication. I am now able to share these skills and resources with others. This portfolio of resources includes, "The Thinking Patient Planner," a low tech, high impact method for planning and documenting information related to physician appointments.
We are all patients, whether we are sick or well. Not all the time, but at least for the important health-related times in our lives. Some of us see doctors more frequently for a variety of reasons. Communicating with doctors is not easy. No one teaches you this. People usually learn the hard way or not at all. At the heart of your relationship with a doctor is communication. Your ability to communicate well with your doctor, and work in partnership for your health and wellness is critical.
With this five-part framework , people can fire up their skills, focus and courage to be an active participant in their own health. Key areas of discussion will include: actions you can take to get the most out of your physician appointments, why it is important to tell your story in an organized and specific way, and what tools are available for people to use to communicate better with doctors.
No one likes going to doctors, whether it is once a year or once a month. But it’s important. We are all patients at different points in our lives. People who are engaged in their care tend to have better outcomes. While I was going through a chronic illness that was destined to shorten my life, I realized that the more I engaged in my care, the more I got out of my care. When I prepared in advance of every appointment, asked my doctor questions, and shared my story, doctors would enthusiastically respond to my need to know more and take care of myself. With this focus, I felt more motivated and confident. And, that by working more effectively with doctors, I could drive my own recovery. I had a clearer understanding of how to manage my medical issues and drugs, and monitor my progress through my health data. Using my experience as a former healthcare executive of over 35 years and an engaged patient, I now focus my work on how to align patient and doctor goals and help people communicate better with doctors.
My life’s course and understanding of my health would all change with the diagnosis of a chronic blood cancer disorder (a type of Myeloproliferative Neoplasm or MPN) and the likelihood of a sharply decreased lifespan. I was determined to figure out how to increase my chances of living longer than my genetics suggested. A large part of this plan would include taking a more active role in my health by working more deliberatively with doctors and hospitals in an effort to boost my chances for improved health and extended life. Once I accepted my diagnosis and this new reality, I found a way to manage my health productively and proactively. This has allowed me to develop a body of knowledge and strategies related to patient-physician communication. I am now able to share these skills and resources with others. This portfolio of resources includes, "The Thinking Patient Planner," a low tech, high impact method for planning and documenting information related to physician appointments.
We are all patients, whether we are sick or well. Not all the time, but at least for the important health-related times in our lives. Some of us see doctors more frequently for a variety of reasons. Communicating with doctors is not easy. No one teaches you this. People usually learn the hard way or not at all. At the heart of your relationship with a doctor is communication. Your ability to communicate well with your doctor, and work in partnership for your health and wellness is critical.
With this five-part framework , people can fire up their skills, focus and courage to be an active participant in their own health. Key areas of discussion will include: actions you can take to get the most out of your physician appointments, why it is important to tell your story in an organized and specific way, and what tools are available for people to use to communicate better with doctors.