As we make the final preparations to launch the Chronic Health & Care Passport, find out what's coming up and how you can help spread the word!
We're so excited that after a tremendous amount of work and invaluable input from a band of marvellous product testers, we're almost ready to make the Chronic Health & Care Passports available to download, completely free for use by patients all over the world.
Additional products are being added as we speak, with the priority editions being Large Print (double the size of the standard A5 passport) and High Contrast (dyslexia-friendly text, and b&w so it's more economical to print or photocopy). The International Editions will take a little longer to develop, but you can still make the MCHCP's UK editions work for you by following our customisation tips in the 'Guides' section.
The main editions... will always be free for everyone's personal use, and for medical/care and related health providers to photocopy or print on behalf of their patients or service users. This commitment is held at the very heart of who we are and what we do.
We aim to have a range of themed editions available to purchase in the near future if you want something that better suits your taste, and hope to make badged editions for healthcare charities with additional contact information inside, helping their patients reach them when they are needed. We understand how important it is not to lose sight of the person buried beneath a medical dictionary's worth of history, and being able to project our individual personalities is a vital part of communicating our needs.
The main editions (Standard, Large Print, High Contrast, and International) will still be freely downloadable for everyone's personal use, and for medical/care and related health providers to photocopy or print on behalf of their patients or service users. This commitment is held at the very heart of who we are and what we do. But a lot of time and energy goes into designing them and if we're going to be able to have some professionally printed to distribute in hospitals, clinics, surgeries, hospices, and support groups then we'll need a little help.
If you'd like to contribute to our outreach projects, you can #DonateToMyCHCP, here. All profits will be used to benefit chronically ill and disabled patients, either directly through the distribution of printed passports or (if we are unable to do so) by donating to the #OpenMedicineFoundation whose pioneering biomedical research is giving hope to many patients with M.E/CFS at a time when Long Covid threatens to create an epidemic of long term illness and fatigue.
Spreading the Word
Another great way you can help is by letting others in your community know that we exist. Just using the #MyChronicHealthPass hashtag on your social media posts to help others find us, or invite them to like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram at @ChronicHcPp. If you can, why not print a copy of the passport for a friend or relative who could benefit? Or print one of our info leaflets to give to your GP, Specialist Nurse, Social Worker, Consultant, Physio, or any other health or social care provider whose patients might find it useful. We will also be running regular competitions to win the premium themed versions when they launch!
But the best thing you can do - for your own care and others' - is to use your #MyChronicHealthPass when you interact with those services so that they not only see it in action, but begin to recognise the invaluable insight that patients with long-term illnesses and disabilities have into their own care.
Keep checking back to catch the full launch!