How One Family Coordinated Care across Four Hospitals
When doctors finally started talking with them, not at them
At a Glance:
When care is spread across different hospitals, someone has to hold the full picture. This story shows how Neatly helped a caregiver reduce mental load, ask informed questions, and protect his mother’s care without relying on memory alone.
Doug's mother Carolyn is 85 years old with stage 4 follicular lymphoma. She's just finished her fourth round of chemo. Between oncology, cardiology, and pulmonology appointments spread across three different health systems, Doug has become her full-time care coordinator.
His sister lives in California and can't make it to appointments. So it falls on Doug to keep track of everything, relay information to family, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
It's a lot.
Before he started using Neatly, Doug noticed a pattern in how doctors interacted with them. "They would talk at us," he says. "Now they talk with us."
The difference? Coming into appointments informed, with specific questions. "When you do that, they treat you differently. You become a partner in the care instead of just a passive recipient."
A decision that could have gone wrong
That partnership was put to the test when Carolyn needed a pacemaker. The cardiologist initially suggested placing it on the left side, which is standard.
But Doug asked Neatly about it first. The AI flagged something important: Carolyn already has a chemotherapy port on her left side.
It recommended discussing right side or abdominal placement instead. When Doug brought this up with the cardiologist, he agreed it was the better choice.
"That's the kind of thing that could easily get missed when you're dealing with multiple specialists who don't always communicate with each other," Doug says.
They also used Neatly to research whether a leadless pacemaker or one with leads made more sense for Carolyn's situation. "Having that information organized and being able to ask intelligent questions made a real difference."
Three hospitals, one source of truth
Carolyn sees doctors at several different providers. The systems don't share records seamlessly. She's on a blood thinner, and that's critical information every provider needs to know.
"Neatly helps us keep track of what's been discussed where," Doug explains. "When I go to an appointment, I have the full picture. I can say, 'Here's what the oncologist said, here's what the pulmonologist said, here's what we need to consider.'"
It's coordination that wasn't happening before.
Keeping family in the loop
Doug's sister wants to be involved in decisions about their mother's care, even from 3,000 miles away. He shares recordings and summaries with her so she's not just getting his secondhand interpretation.
"She can see exactly what the doctors said. It's kept us aligned as a family."
Peace of mind for Carolyn
At 85, Carolyn has some hearing difficulties. Knowing everything is being captured gives her peace of mind.
"She doesn't have to strain to hear every word or worry about forgetting something important," Doug says. "She can just be present."
Take charge of your healthcare
Curious about Neatly? The best way to get started is to simply download and start chatting and recording your appointments. It’s easy to use, and it’s free.
