Patient and caregiver stories are useful to help other patients, caregivers and providers understand the experiences a patient goes through during a healthcare episode. With its “Experts by Experience” social media series, the Mayo Clinic has upped the stakes for patient stories significantly.

Experts by Experience is a collaboration between Mayo Clinic Social Media Network and the Inspire health care social network. Stories written by patients and/or their caregivers who are members of the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network or Inspire are shared in the monthly series.

Experts by Experience serves many purposes:

• It allows patients and caregivers a platform to share their experiences – good and bad – and be heard.
• It provides education and guidance for providers and healthcare communicators about what patients go through on their healthcare journeys.
• It gives insight into a particular condition for those who do not have the condition.
• It provides an opportunity for quality improvement by providers.

There will be an even balance between stories from Mayo patients and patients from other providers via Inspire.com.