It is not always easy to understand a doctor’s diagnosis, particularly for those who do not have a high level of education.

In a 2022 survey of 215 people, Anglia Ruskin University found that 97.7 per cent of people thought the phrase “your cancer screening test came back negative” was a bad thing.

To remove the confusion, health advocate Wanda Robinson has launched Pivot Health Bda.

“It is to help folks who have been to the doctor but do not understand the diagnosis they have received,” Ms Robinson said. “Doctors only have a limited amount of time with their patients. I’m here to support them, as well.”

She said people would often do an online search after their initial medical consultation but still did not fully understand the information they find.

“I help them research that information and potential treatments,” Ms Robinson said.

She also wants to raise the community’s understanding of many common lifestyle-related diseases in Bermuda such as diabetes and dementia.

To this end, she will be leading regular health workshops for the general public. The first, about dementia, will be tomorrow.

“We will be talking about the different types of dementia and the resources available in Bermuda,” she said.

“We have 3,000 people on the island that are impacted by dementia but a lot of people do not talk about it. It is something that needs to be discussed more, especially with our younger generation. They need to know what to expect and what to avoid.”

The event is a free lunch and learn from noon to 1pm at the Ignite Hub at 14 Wesley Street in Hamilton.

Ms Robinson has a bachelor’s in biology and is working on a master’s in health education and promotion.

“I have been working in education for many years,” she said. “My first passion is health. This brings the two together.”

The idea for the business was sparked by a friend who started having health issues years ago.

“She had a diagnosis that she did not fully understand,” Ms Robinson said. “At that time many other people did not understand it, either. So I researched it for her and found the links with all of her diagnoses and what she was experiencing.”

Her friend had lupus, an autoimmune disease not fully understood 30 years ago.

“She has since passed on,” Ms Robinson said. “But she helped push me to do this and also others who asked me to interpret for them.”

Ms Robinson hopes to see clients of all ages.

“I do not limit the age,” she said. “It just depends on whether people are willing and able to come.”

She can also help people to understand learning disability diagnoses.

The cost of the service depends on the needs of the client. She is working to get support from local insurance companies.

One of her challenges is trust.

“Not everyone wants to talk about what they are dealing with,” Ms Robinson said.

Pivot Health Bda is running a competition until December 3 to motivate people to raise their fitness levels.

“You walk, run or cycle,” Ms Robinson said. “Participants check in with me every week, and at the end of it, the winner gets a grocery voucher, right in time for Christmas.”

There will be another competition starting in January.

Ms Robinson is part of business accelerator Ignite’s seventh cohort, running now.

“They have helped me to understand not just what it is to start a business, but how to maintain one,” she said. “I have also learnt how to seek out clients.”

She does not yet have her own office, but operates out of space at Ignite.