Clean the Beeping Thing

I have been a caregiver for family members with serious illness and have witnessed the devastating impact that hospital acquired infections can have. My brother Bryan was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 at the age of 29, received 2 stem cell transplants, experienced many complications of these treatments, and passed away in 2016 from septic shock.

Bryan was an amazing, hilarious, and inspiring person, and he continues to be one of the reasons that I am so passionate about helping others. I have seen firsthand that authentic patient engagement efforts at all levels are essential for creating positive change in healthcare, and that is why I'm an active member of numerous healthcare improvement efforts.  

This comic offers a glimpse into the unique perspective that patients and caregivers can bring, and I hope that it will spark interest, future research, and ultimately save lives.

 

About this comic: Marc Korobkin, JD, is the Adolescent and Young Adult Coordinator and Outreach Assistant at Gilda’s Club Madison (an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community), and is a member of the Patients Engaged in Education and Research (PEER) Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He came up with the concept and imagery for this comic, which was illustrated by PEER coordinator Sydney Hoel.* * The project described was supported by the UW Madison Institute for Clinical Translational Research (ICTR) with funding from the NIH NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA #UL1TR002373) and the UW SMPH Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP #4358). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.