I recently recounted the true story of a patient, Joe, who I have been seeing for many years. Through all of that time I had been unable to persuade, convince, or cajole him to change his diet and sedentary lifestyle. Read what happened when Joe read his online office note (our health system was one of the initial sites for OpenNotes) and it provided the trigger for him to change. Then find out how he leveraged an activity tracker and his social network to keep him to task. And now this patient is going to feel better and be such less costly to the health care system.

Leonard Kish wrote, “if patient engagement were a drug, it would be the blockbuster drug of the century.” But exercise is also a wonder drug, not to be underestimated. Joe’s story shows the power of both.

I’d love to hear your comments below or on the Journal of Participatory Medicine website.