Driving In Traffic

The internet has indeed changed how people obtain health information. There is so much information out there about every possible ailment. However, it doesn’t take long for a person to stumble upon a site, a blog or online store that puts out confusing information. How does one know what information can be trusted and what information is a cleverly worded sales pitch with little science to back up the claims?

Today Reuters Health released a short synopsis of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that examined how people prefer to get health information. The study found that a majority (64%) the subjects had used the internet. Of those, almost 64% had looked up health information. Interestingly, only 24% of those people trusted the information they obtained. Doctors still seem to be the most trusted source for medical information.

Why is this? Is it because that no matter how short the HMOs have made our physician visits, the personal interaction is the most important part of the visit? I think that is part of it.

However, I wonder how the internet can be made more credible. If we try to spice up websites with personal information about doctors and nurses in hopes of making our healthcare sites mimic the personal interaction, will that suffice? I think not.

People want clear, concise, substantiated information about their health. People also want to know their choices about treatment options. They want to know the possible consequences of certain choices. Then they want to take that information to the health professional that knows them best to help them make a decision. Healthcare professionals need to beware… this is just the first step toward the whole dynamic of care being changed.

What do you think people want out of the healthcare information they find on the internet? What are the qualities of good information and bad information?

Technorati tag: healthcare health information

I was traveling around today and found a press release by Bonnie Snyder about her holiday gift of relaxation: The Virtual Spa.

Admittedly, I usually do not drive by these sites that proclaim to have you relaxed and refreshed in 10 minutes. But today has been one of those days. Check it out for yourself. I just listened to the music, but you have the option of hearing a message as well. Since I didn’t sample that, please do not blame me if it is cheesy.

The press release claims that “according to Snyder, there’s a growing body of research that indicates that being quiet, meditating and clearing your mind for 10 to 20 minutes a day will help lower stress hormones, maintain emotional balance and improve health.” I must say it gave me a boost today.

Technorati tag: More blogs about holiday stress.

The old tag line for Lay’s Potato chips was “You can’t eat just one!” Well, I could take or leave potato chips, but the cheesy, orange-finger goodness of Cheetos is one I just can’t refuse. There is no way for me to eat just one Cheeto— see, the name doesn’t even lend itself to a singular form. Blogging is a lot like that for me. I can’t have just one!

In late October, I launched my company’s blog: Psychiatric Resource Forum. Soon after I helped a physician friend launch his own personal blog. Both of these are currently using TypePad. However, the more I researched, the more I learned about other methods and tools for blogging. I really wanted to try Wordpress. However, I did not want to risk messing up a friend’s blog or my business blog in the process. Thus — here I am!

Here, I am free to get orange cheetos crumbs on my keyboard, make some mistakes and misteps and learn from the experience. I suppose learning something new is what makes blogging so intriquing for me right now. There is a lot of advice out there but it is changing so quickly that blogging seems to be evolving every day.

So with that said, I’d like to take a moment to thank some folks that have helped instill this obsession. Sincerely, their advice and guidance have been helpful and I hope that one day I can repay the favor.

First: Thanks to my Blog Mama: Teresa over at Caro Consulting

Second: Thanks for the WordPress advice from Robert over at DaddySpeak

Lastly: Thanks to my blog Grandmother (albeit a smart, vibrant Diva-esque grandparent) Toby whose blog I read religiously!

I look forward to the adventure.

Technorati tags: Blogging Wordpress More blogs about Cheetos.