Recently, while preparing for a wisdom tooth extraction, I needed a little wisdom on the matter, if you will. I talked to family and friends who had undergone the surgery to get some advice about preparation, procedure, and recovery, but for some reason I wasn’t quite satisfied. I found myself reaching beyond my “real life friends” to the virtual world.
Online, I found medical information about the surgery and potential complications, questions asked and answered by others like myself, and stories of individuals’ experiences with the procedure. I updated my Facebook status and wrote on my family’s blog that I was going to have my wisdom teeth out, and I received an influx of well wishes, sympathies, and advice. I am even preparing to write my own Associated Content article to share my experience with others like myself!
Of course, my doctors provided me with some information about the procedure, but social networking painted a much clearer picture and provided extra support during the whole ordeal – and I don’t underestimate the value of that advice and support in my speedy recovery!
Social networking – a term that simply refers to connecting with other people, primarily in reference to the Internet – has become quite the phenomenon over the last few years. Online groups for patients or survivors of illnesses (such as grouploop.org or mentalhealthsocial.com), and using sites such as Twitter and MySpace to gain social support when undergoing medical issues, are some ways in which social networking is nourishing the world of medicine.
In particular, however, people are beginning to use social networking more frequently to seek medical information and advice. This has the potential to save a lot of time at doctor’s offices and money in medical bills, but it’s important to be careful that you are using the right sites for the right reasons. After spending some time doing my own searches on health social network sites, here are my recommendations for the top 3 to use, and when to use them.
HealthBoards.com
If you are looking for personal advice, your best bet is HealthBoards.com. I visited several health forum websites, and this was the best organized and most frequented of the bunch. On HealthBoards.com, you will find an easy-to-search forum system in which users can ask questions and receive answers from other lay people. You may either browse the forums by topic to find related boards, or perform a search based on your specific interest to find the relevant threads. Most questions are answered by at least one other contributor, and most of the forums had been updated within the last week. As with any forum, users must be cautioned that forum sites do not provide sanctioned medical advice, but for some quick or anecdotal answers, or a shared experience with another person, this is the place to go.
DoctorsLounge.com
If you are looking for consultation from a physician, try DoctorsLounge.com. While there are several websites that offer quick online consultation from a doctor for a fee, this was the only site I could find that offered such a service for free. Granted, this comes at a different kind of price. Because the contributing physicians on this website are volunteers – and human – there is a limit to the number of questions that may be asked by the public at a given time. If you have the time to wait, why not create social networks with doctors themselves? However, if you need quick and general advice, the site provides forums filled with archives of professionally-answered questions available to the public for free.
OrganizedWisdom.com
If you are looking for medical information, visit organizedwisdom.com. This easy-to-navigate site provides a comprehensive search feature that compiles resources from many of the leading medical advice websites. These tidbits of information come in the form of either “Wisdom Cards” or Expert Recommendations.”
Wisdom Cards link you to various sites that generally describe the condition in question, but before they even send you to the website, they provide a screen shot, description of the site, and even, in some cases, expert testimonials about the reputation of the site – another social network feature. For example, a Wisdom Card search on “Hypertension” results in links to websites such as MayoClinic.com, WebMD.com, and americanheart.org. “Expert Recommendations” links to related articles and resources for the given condition. For example, an Expert Recommendations search for Hypertension results in a link to news articles about the disease, an online resource center, and an informative PowerPoint presentation.
The point of OrganizedWisdom is illustrated in the name – to have all of the Internet’s wisdom organized in one place so that it does the searching for you!
Make the Right Choice
While these sources can offer an excellent means of quick, effective, and economical medical advice, you must be careful not to rely solely on the Internet for diagnoses or suggestions for treatment. These can be a starting point for general information, solutions to minor problems, examples and insights, or an encouraging pat on the back from someone who has been there, done that. Don’t forget, though, that nothing compares to a relationship with a doctor who can see you personally, analyze your particular case, capitalize on knowledge of your medical history, and provide the best treatment and ongoing support for you. Maybe at some point, we will be able to get the best of both worlds and chat online with our personal physicians at a moment’s notice!
