Dave deBonkart

Dave deBronkart, widely known as e-Patient Dave, is a cancer patient and blogger who has become a noted activist for healthcare transformation through participatory medicine and personal health data rights. A successful speaker in high tech before his illness, he is today the leading spokesman for patient engagement, attending over 150 conferences and policy meetings internationally in the past two years. He serves as volunteer co-chair of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

An online community leader since 1989, he sought online resources in addition to receiving treatment at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess. He responded well to high-dosage interleukin-2, and today he is well.

In 2009 his blogging about health IT put him on the front page of the Boston Globe and thrust him into DC policy discussions about patient access to medical records under Meaningful Use. He’s appeared in Time,U.S. News, and the HealthLeaders cover story “Patient of the Future.” In 2009 HealthLeaders named him and his doctor to their annual list of “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better.” In 2011 his TEDx talk went viral globally, rising into the top half of the most-viewed TED talks of all time; volunteers have added subtitles in 25 languages. Its tagline is his appeal: “Let Patients Help.”

Laugh, Sing & Eat Like a Pig

Patient Engagement / Patient Empowerment

Healthcare Transformation

Inspiration / Motivation / Attitude / Mind Power

Meaningful Use (health IT) and personal health records