I missed winning an Olympic bronze medal by 1/100th of a point — the smallest margin to differentiate two skiers in the sport of freestyle mogul skiing. I was 18 years old. After the heartbreak passed, I asked myself: what can I really control?
Well, I can’t control the judges, the weather, or my competitors. The only thing I can control is my mental, emotional, and technical performance. In order to take charge of these factors, I had to build a world class team — with myself at the centre. This included being at the centre of my medical team so I could deal with my chronic injuries.
How digital health helped me as an athlete
My medical team included a strength and conditioning coach, an osteopath, nutritionists, a deep tissue massage therapist, and a sport psychologist. I took 18-months away from my sport to heal my injuries and to build the foundation to become a world-class athlete. To make sure my team was as effective as it could be, proper communication was key. Part of our communication plan included using digital health [1] so my information could be easily shared amongst all team members.
As I stood in the start gate four years later in Torino, at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, I was 100 per cent ready to ski at my best — when it mattered the most. Being at the centre of a team that communicated well with each other made a difference. It meant we were all collectively working together to make me better.
Since then, I’ve started a new chapter as a mom which has given me the chance to experience a different side of a medical team working well together.
How digital health helps me as a parent
Today, as a mother of two boys under the age of three, I take the same approach to their health as I did with my athletic career.
What I’ve experienced first-hand during a health issue in my pregnancy is that when communication breaks down or doesn’t exist, care is no longer optimal. My family doctor wasn’t available, and as I went from care team to care team, including a visit to the ER, I took a paper file with me of my medical history. It meant that I had to repeat my history every time. Different care providers – all of whom had important parts to play in my, and my child’s, health outcomes – were relying on me for critical pieces to the puzzle. Here, seamless digital communication and authorized access to my health information would have made things easier and reduced a lot of the stress I felt.
Today, a lot has changed and I’m no longer carrying around that paper file to make the right connections. My health care team has me at the centre of it all and I play an active part thanks to the right tools. I am grateful that my doctor’s office uses electronic bookings and shares lab tests results electronically. It has increased my ability to manage appointments and to get the timely information I need to understand the overall picture of my health, and that of my family.
I look forward to the time when there is a complete digital health record. Now that will be a gold medal for everyone.
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Canada Health Infoway: Better Health Together.
www.betterhealthtogether.ca [7]