Donna Cryer, JD, is President & Chief Executive Officer of the American Liver Foundation, and CEO of CryerHealth, a health care strategy firm in Washington, DC. A liver transplant recipient, Ms. Cryer has experienced frequent and varied interactions with the health care system, giving her a unique perspective on the patient experience. She blogs about patient advocacy issues on DCPatient – An Impatient Patient’s Perspective on Health Care Today.

Comparative Effectiveness Research: Donna Cryer of the American Liver Foundation

Donna Cryer | November 20, 2012
Patients are not opposed to comparative effectiveness research. I think they understand its value to health care decision-making. But physician-scientists and policymakers rightly perceive the inherent tension between personalized medicine and CER.

Guest Blog: We Are All Doctors

Donna Cryer | July 26, 2012
Well of course we are not all doctors. What a ludicrous statement. Just because I have changed a band-aid, taken a temperature, 'diagnosed' a headache and appropriately treated with an acetaminophen, and even clipped an in-grown toe-nail does not make me a healthcare professional.

Guest Blog: A Patient's Perspective on Improving Care Transitions

Donna Cryer | October 28, 2011
Two recent speaking engagements provided me the opportunity to think deeply about the discharge process, an area of healthcare delivery rampant with errors and missed opportunities to support sustained healing and health for patients.

Guest Blog: Defining Patient Engagement

Donna Cryer | February 18, 2011
The mad scramble to figure out how to 'engage' patients in their healthcare has begun! Everyone from PR firms to hospital board members are trying to figure out how to engage patients in their health care. My question to hospitals and others is this: Why would you reject the help of thousands of individuals positioned in various ways to help you be more successful?

Consumers v Patients

Donna Cryer | November 9, 2010
Much is made of what to call those of us actively engaged in pursuing and receiving medical care from health professionals, and this post does not intend to settle that issue. But I've discerned a shift towards using "consumers" as the catch-all term to describe people who actually have different experiences, needs, views, and behaviors within the health care system. Although often used interchangeably, I believe there are distinctive differences between consumers, patients, and patient warriors in the context of health care.

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How to Make a Doctor Appointment: 10 Steps

Finding Treatment Information