@matttoresco: Patients need support before a diagnosis. Elana Silber described a moment on Building the Noise that deserves a place in every cancer support discussion. Someone waits for results. They have no confirmed diagnosis. They may hesitate to tell family because they do not want to worry them. Sharsheret offers a program called the Waiting Room for people facing that uncertainty. As Elana put it: “You're waiting between tests. You're waiting to hear this. You're waiting for results.” My takeaway: a support plan should account for the time between a concerning finding and an answer. Healthcare leaders can act on that without pretending to know what the result will show. Give people a clear explanation of what happens next. Identify whom they can contact with questions. Offer an appropriate emotional support resource. Explain how they will receive their results. Keep clinical interpretation with the care team. Give the person somewhere to take the fear. For advocacy teams, this also raises a design question: do your programs require a confirmed diagnosis before someone can speak with a person who understands their concern? Where that requirement exists, ask whose need it serves. Who takes responsibility for support while your patients wait for answers? #PatientAdvocacy #CancerSupport #PatientExperience #Sharsheret
