“How strange. My foot droops when walking and looks like it belongs to a puppet on a string when I am standing or sitting. No need to immediately overreact, as Parkinsons often surprises me with new developments. But still ... it’s not nice. I could make an appointment with the neurologist or specialist nurse but that takes considerable effort. Maybe I should wait as it might pass in a day or two, as it could be just a side effect of the levodopa carbidopa. So I am in a ‘what-shall-I-do-now’ situation, which you are probably familiar with. The problem is not critical, but I do want it checked out. For the last couple of months, I know exactly what I want to do: use Kanta.
Kanta is a bit like WhatsApp, but very secure with end-to-end encryption. You can download the app and create an account. An e-mail address or telephone number is not required. If you would like to have other users in your address book, you first need direct contact to allow access. You have to scan each other's QR code (the square which serves as a barcode), which allows you to converse via the app. A voice message is currently being worked on as we speak. All this makes it very suitable to safely exchange medical data.
First I added my nursing specialist, as I knew that she also wanted to know more about Kanta. I sent her the details of my foot problem. It would be great in the future if could also send her a video of my foot, but this feature is still under construction. I received an answer within a few hours which was very reassuring.
I also use Kanta when I have questions about my pills or my trembling arms. Furthermore, I have added my physical therapist which means we can have a group discussion. The communication between healthcare providers is very direct this way. The next step is adding the neurologist and the general practitioner, which will be the start of tailor-made healthcare.
I also conduct group discussions at the Parkinson's testing lab ‘Healthcare of the future’ in Nijmegen. Very effective and whilst working we exchange our experiences with Kanta.
Overall, I am very happy with the opportunity to use Kanta together with my healthcare providers. It is efficient, problem-free and I understand from my nursing specialist, that the use of Kanta does not (yet) lead to extra workload. Most importantly, it is very safe which is a main factor in today’s society. Would you like to use it too? From my experience, this works best in consultation with your nurse specialist. Are you already using Kanta? Then please share your experience”.