Crohn's Disease: The Year in Review
Improvements in daily life
One of the major advancements in 2017 that could have huge potential to improve the lives of individuals living with Crohn’s disease actually didn’t come from the medical community, but from the tech community. In 2017, Canada made a national push to make access to restrooms more comfortable for individuals living with Crohn’s disease. The initiative was called GoHere and it was accompanied with a smartphone app. Essentially, the program encourages businesses to sign up with a directory listing their available restroom facilities. Individuals can then download the GoHere app and map out a route that has available restroom stops along the way in case of a sudden need to use the facilities. The public program and accompanying app were initially launched in Calgary this year, but the Canadian government was pushing to extend the initiative throughout the nation. GoHere is just one example of public health officials taking Crohn’s disease more seriously and taking tangible steps to make life easier for individuals living with the condition.