How collaboration across medical disciplines and patient advocacy cured a rare disease

Patient advocate Tami Burdick discusses her article, "How collaboration saved my life from a rare disease doctors couldn't diagnose." Tami shares her personal and arduous journey with granulomatous mastitis (GM), a rare and poorly understood condition, and how embracing collaborative health care in three key ways led to her successful remission. She details the crucial partnership between her conventional Western medicine doctor, surgical breast oncologist Dr. Kelly McLean, and her functional medicine practitioner, Jared Seigler, which allowed for innovative testing and a broader perspective on her illness. Tami also highlights the power of patient-to-doctor collaboration, emphasizing how her own relentless research and self-advocacy were instrumental in uncovering answers that the traditional system initially missed, largely due to time constraints on physicians. Furthermore, she underscores the profound impact of patient-to-patient collaboration through her support group, where shared experiences and knowledge provided critical guidance and helped others navigate the complexities of GM. Tami's story is a testament to the potential of integrating different medical approaches, the necessity of patient empowerment, and a call for systemic changes in health care to foster more such collaborations, including better insurance coverage for alternative practices and more dedicated time for doctor-patient interactions. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare–and it's built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended