Service Fanatics: How to Build Superior Patient Experience the Cleveland Clinic Way

Chapter 12

Making Patients Our Partners

If I’m helping to lead the patient experience from the top down, Dave deBronkart is leading it from the bottom up. DeBronkart is a cancer survivor diagnosed with Stage IV renal cell carcinoma in 2007. The disease had metastasized to his lungs and bone, and he was given a median survival time of just 24 weeks. He has an amazing story.¹ Seven years later, deBronkart has gone from patient to crusader, working to drive patient empowerment across the world. DeBronkart believes in patients taking more control of their healthcare and advocates a shift in the balance of power from providers to patients. DeBronkart uses the nickname e-Patient Dave, with the e standing for “empowered, equipped, educated, engaged, ...