Medicine
If you have a friend or relative who's a doctor or other healthcare professional, you probably ask that person. (I remember getting questions as early as my first semester of medical school, when I was completely unequipped to respond to the simplest of questions, such as what to take for a common cold - though even fully qualified physicians often prescribe unnecessary antibiotics in this situation, as ER physician Zachary Meisel explains.)
Perhaps the most consulted source of clinical information online is the venerable WebMD. But there are other sites that are nearly as good, including FamilyDoctor.org, sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians. These websites are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often featuring podcasts and other interactive features in addition to traditional, static educational handouts.
So who or what is your most trusted source of information when you or a friend or relative falls ill? Your family doctor? Your internist? The paramedic you sometimes shoot pool with on Friday nights? Or an "alternative" health provider such as a chiropractor or acupuncturist? I plan to discuss complementary and alternative medicine in depth in a future posting, but for now I'd like to hear from you.
- How To Find Good Health Information Online
A recent survey found that 60 percent of adults have gone online at least once to look up health information. Unfortunately, finding high-quality health websites is a challenge. Several years ago, a review of 79 studies published in the Journal of the...
- Finding Good Primary Care: Beyond "best Doctors" Lists - Part 2 Of 2
Aware of the limited amount of reliable data about physicians online, many practices have decided to cut out the middleman and market their services to patients directly. Increasingly, practice websites contain more than basic information such as contact...
- Finding Good Primary Care: Beyond "best Doctors" Lists - Part 1 Of 2
Every year, I receive a survey in the mail from Washingtonian Magazine asking me to nominate local primary care and specialty physician colleagues for the honor of being named one of Washington, DC's "Top Doctors." I usually send in a few names, and...
- Anonymity
Since I started this blog in July, I have chosen to restrict the posting of comments and responses to readers who were willing to identify themselves publicly. The rationale for this restriction was to protect the blog against spam message. However, as...
- Research In Medical Education
I had a crazy thought the other day, why don't we do more research in medical schools. I know you're saying that there is a ton of research going on in the modern medical school. But I bet if you are reading this you don't care...
Medicine
Where do you get your health care information?
If you have a friend or relative who's a doctor or other healthcare professional, you probably ask that person. (I remember getting questions as early as my first semester of medical school, when I was completely unequipped to respond to the simplest of questions, such as what to take for a common cold - though even fully qualified physicians often prescribe unnecessary antibiotics in this situation, as ER physician Zachary Meisel explains.)
Perhaps the most consulted source of clinical information online is the venerable WebMD. But there are other sites that are nearly as good, including FamilyDoctor.org, sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians. These websites are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often featuring podcasts and other interactive features in addition to traditional, static educational handouts.
So who or what is your most trusted source of information when you or a friend or relative falls ill? Your family doctor? Your internist? The paramedic you sometimes shoot pool with on Friday nights? Or an "alternative" health provider such as a chiropractor or acupuncturist? I plan to discuss complementary and alternative medicine in depth in a future posting, but for now I'd like to hear from you.
- How To Find Good Health Information Online
A recent survey found that 60 percent of adults have gone online at least once to look up health information. Unfortunately, finding high-quality health websites is a challenge. Several years ago, a review of 79 studies published in the Journal of the...
- Finding Good Primary Care: Beyond "best Doctors" Lists - Part 2 Of 2
Aware of the limited amount of reliable data about physicians online, many practices have decided to cut out the middleman and market their services to patients directly. Increasingly, practice websites contain more than basic information such as contact...
- Finding Good Primary Care: Beyond "best Doctors" Lists - Part 1 Of 2
Every year, I receive a survey in the mail from Washingtonian Magazine asking me to nominate local primary care and specialty physician colleagues for the honor of being named one of Washington, DC's "Top Doctors." I usually send in a few names, and...
- Anonymity
Since I started this blog in July, I have chosen to restrict the posting of comments and responses to readers who were willing to identify themselves publicly. The rationale for this restriction was to protect the blog against spam message. However, as...
- Research In Medical Education
I had a crazy thought the other day, why don't we do more research in medical schools. I know you're saying that there is a ton of research going on in the modern medical school. But I bet if you are reading this you don't care...