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 Access to medical information online.
By Patricia Jordan
In recent years, social networking has moved into the health field through websites that are designed to assist patients and physicians. Patient social network sites provide a forum for patients who wish to discuss their symptoms and obtain information about their illnesses. Physician social networks provide an avenue for physicians to share medical knowledge, including clinical cases, images and videos. Office-based physicians find these networks are particularly useful as they allow them to collaborate with thousands of physicians in real-time.
In 2004, Bill Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina decided to create a social network website for sick children. They created Upopolis™ (upopolis.com) in memory of Christina’s friend Katy MacDonald who died of cancer in 2004. The objective of this popular site was to help children to connect with their family, friends and schools in a safe private online community where children were able to share their experiences on personal blogs and learn about their illnesses through medical information provided by hospital-based ChildLife experts.
Another popular patient site is PatientsLikeMe.com that was founded in 2004 by three MIT engineers. The site is operated by a privately funded company dedicated to helping patients who are diagnosed with life-changing illness. The founders’ personal experience with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) inspired them to create a community that would inform and empower individuals. The site features resources and information that is provided by patients, physicians and organizations. Patient members share their medical information with thousands of other patients to build a collective resource that is shared with others affected by the same disease.
PatientsLikeMe.com sells de-identified information to companies who use that information to improve and better understand products and diseases. All patients who use social network sites must take due care, as there are risks associated with sharing medical information in any community. Many medical and life insurance companies have clauses that exclude pre-existing conditions and employers may not wish to employ a person with a high-cost or high-risk illness.
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Did you know?
The United States of America’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) developed a system that was designed to detect “hostile thoughts” in people walking through border posts, airports and public places. The screening technology is similar to an x-ray and scans people as they pass through the scanner. It measures body movement, breathing, facial expression, pulse rate, pupil dilation, skin temperature and additional indicators to determine if a person is a possible terrorist or has intentions of causing harm. The project was initially called “Project Hostile Intent” and is now identified as “Future Attribute Screening Technologies” (FAST). Under the FAST Program, the DHS developed physiological and behavioural screening technologies to streamline the screening process at security checkpoints. Working with the DHS, Battelle, Drapier Laboratory and Farber Specialty Vehicles designed and developed portable screening facilities in trailers that can be used at airports and public events. |
Patricia Jordan is the CBABC Web Manager. She welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions. Tel: 604-646-7861; Email: pjordan@bccba.org; visit: www.cba.org/bc.
This article was published in the October 2010 issue of BarTalk. © 2010 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.
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