SandwYch

Accessing health data shouldn’t be harder than receiving care.

The Sequoia Project’s newly released draft, Simplifying Data Access for Better Patient Experience: Best Practices and Implementation Toolkit for Providers, was developed by the Consumer Engagement Strategy Workgroup. The draft outlines practical ways to reduce administrative burden and remove barriers that patients and caregivers face when trying to access their own health information.

This work reflects a simple but powerful shift: designing data access through the eyes of the patient. Public comments are open through April 2nd. We encourage our network to review and share feedback.

Read the document here: https://sequoiaproject.org/interoperability-matters/consumer-engagement-strategy-workgroup/best-practices-and-implementation-toolkit-for-providers/

Not all care partners think, feel, or cope in the same way. That understanding is at the heart of SandwYch’s research-driven approach to care partner support.

Led by Deborah Nichols, Co-Founder of SandwYch and Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, the SandwYch team conducted original research to identify distinct care partner motivational types and examine how stress, burnout, and engagement patterns differ across groups.

Evidence-based typology helps SandwYch personalize support and anticipate when care partners may need targeted guidance or emotional reinforcement. Our first manuscript is published, with more research underway to strengthen the foundation of care partner-centered innovation.

Learn how research is shaping the future of compassionate care partner support: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1608435/full

The SandwYch team has been showing up where the future of care coordination is being shaped and bringing those insights back into our work. Here’s what we’ve been up to!

🔹 HL7 CMS FHIR Connectathon
We joined implementers from across the health IT ecosystem at the HL7 International and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services FHIR Connectathon. The hands-on collaboration reinforced how essential interoperability is to reducing friction for care teams and supporting more connected patient and caregiver experiences.

🔹 The Sequoia Project & Carequality Annual Meeting
At the Sequoia Project and Carequality Annual Meeting, we connected with healthcare leaders and policy experts advancing a nationwide trusted exchange. The conversations highlighted the growing momentum behind shared infrastructure that supports whole-person care.

🔹 eHealth Exchange HIE Annual Meeting in Nashville
We participated in the eHealth Exchange Annual Meeting, where discussions explored how AI, policy, and interoperability are reshaping healthcare. A clear takeaway emerged: data exchange only matters if it improves real-world experiences for patients, families, and care teams.

🔹 New peer-reviewed research published
We also celebrated the publication of new research by Amy Laine and Deb Nichols in Frontiers in Psychology, focused on strengthening the role of care partners as an integral part of the care team. This work continues to ground SandwYch in evidence-based design and reinforces our commitment to building tools that support patients and those who care for them.

We’re energized by the collaboration, inspired by the progress, and excited to keep building toward more connected, human-centered care.

The holiday season is a time for warmth, connection, and reflection. For many care partners, it can also be a season filled with added responsibility, emotional pressure, and the quiet weight of trying to make the holidays meaningful while supporting a loved one’s health. If you are caring for someone this holiday season, please know that your effort, your patience, and your heart matter more than you may ever hear out loud. You deserve moments of rest, joy, and support as much as anyone you care for.

At SandwYch, we believe no care partner should feel alone during the holidays. Simple reminders, shared tasks, prepared lists, and honest conversations can lighten the load and create more space for presence over pressure. And for patients navigating new diagnoses, recovery, or chronic conditions, small acts of reassurance can make the season feel gentler.

Wherever you are in your health journey, we hope this season brings you comfort, connection, and a reminder of your strength and resilience.

Wishing you and your loved ones joy, love, and meaningful moments for the holidays!

Our mission at SandwYch is to make care simpler, more connected, and more human.

We bridge the gaps that occur after a visit by keeping patients engaged in follow-up, medication routines, and preventive care while offering care partners tailored support based on research-driven behavioral typologies.

This approach strengthens the most important care relationship: the one between patients and the people who support them every day. We believe no one should navigate healthcare alone and that confidence grows when people feel informed, heard, and supported.

Explore how our mission is helping families stay supported throughout the entire care journey: https://sandwych.com/about

SandwYch is a digital health platform designed to support patients and care partners through the moments when care often falls apart: after the visit.

At its core, SandwYch brings together a mobile app for patients and care partners with a web-based platform for care teams, creating a connected system that reduces confusion, closes follow-up gaps, and strengthens continuity of care.

Families receive personalized guidance, reminders, and support while care teams use automation, risk stratification, and streamlined workflows to reach the right people at the right time.

This patient- and care partner-centered approach is grounded in behavioral science, gerontology, and a unique care partner typology that helps reduce burnout and improve engagement.

SandwYch is here to make care more coordinated, compassionate, and accessible for everyone involved.

Learn more about how SandwYch works and why it matters for families and care teams.

https://sandwych.com/

Veterans, thank you for your service to our country.
Here are the best free meals and services to honor you today: https://www.military.com/veterans-day/best-veterans-day-deals-and-discounts-according-veterans.html

Happy 4th of July!
In the comments, tell us about a special 4th of July memory.

Happy Father's Day! Enjoy YOUR day today. We appreciate you!

We honor those who sacrificed it all for our country.
Have a safe and blessed Memorial Day!

Happy Mother's Day! Today is YOUR day! Take time today to nurture yourself. You are appreciated for the many things that you do on a daily basis.