Something like 61% of Americans go online to seek health-related information.
When “our story” of living with Multiple Sclerosis as a family first met the Internet in the early 90’s it was on an AST computer with 4 RAM, using Dos commands to open programs (even Windows). With a dial up connection, I first discovered ‘others’ on the Prodigy network's Multiple Sclerosis bulletin boards.
Today it is a different world.
Top 20 Health Websites 8/5/2009 eBizMBA
Feel like a kid in a candy shop? Try to ask yourself …How is the information reviewed?
“Mavens” and “experts” abound; but to paraphrase Glinda, “Are you a good maven or a bad maven?”
Who pays for the Web site?
"This is great news for marketers …They have another way into the office." 3 Out of 4 U.S. Nurses Recommend Health Websites to Patients
“Visitors to the HealthCentral websites were more likely to request prescription drugs from their physicians than were visitors to competing sites …” Medical Marketing & Media
Or, what the hell, just start one yourself …
(read out loud using your best Billy Mays' voice) “grab your very own super-profitable "Health Biz in a Box" right away! … Ordinarily $1,497.00, but yours for just $47 if you order now or within the next 5 days!!”
Remember … Let’s be careful out there!
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer
musings: Patrick Ponders ...
Hehe...the whole "health maven" concept is an irksome to a website which I still don't truly see the value in. And there are many times which I may strongly disagree with the voiced opinions or recommendations of fellow "experts" on another website.
ReplyDeleteAs far as providing an audience "more likely to request prescription drugs from their physicians" - sounds like a sells pitch to pharma execs.
Be cautious and stay skeptical!!
doing medical transcription, they tell us when we need to research something to make sure we use the information from a reliable web site; Wikipedia (surprisingly, tongue in cheek) is not one (reliable). usually anything journal related (and not blog journal, but scientific or medical journal) is considered it
ReplyDeletesadly people don't realize there's a difference
hope you guys are doing good and that summer has been somewhat pleasant weather and better adventures!
betty