With the help of Google, it took me less than 0.3 seconds to find the largest aggregate of Scoliosis forums online: http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/index.php.
I recognized that this was once, over 10 years ago, the informal collection of threads my parents and I participated in when searching for answers and support online.
My oh my how the layout, breadth and depth has changed!
I attempted to sign in with my old user name (that was hoping for too much) and quickly went to plan B: create a new account. I began to catch up on all the goodies I had missed over the years: new theories, new studies and findings, new technologies, new surgery and bracing methods… and unfortunately, many sad stories about children in worse situations than my own.
I intend to search and identify participants who are perhaps willing to anonymously share their experiences and opinions of the use and benefit of these online medical forums.
I will also continue my search for additional Scoliosis forums that may prove useful to my blog topics.
In the meantime, I’m attaching the rough draft of a literature review I conducted for a study I intend to pursue as a part of my Masters thesis. As with the purpose of this blog, I am interested in understanding the benefits of online medical search and communication, and how these mediums both affect and aid patients and doctors.
My paper, titled: The effect of online medical information and communication on doctor-patient relationships is merely a working concept with room for development (and tons of improvement). So, if any of you readers have spare time and are interested in sifting through the work (don’t worry, it’s double spaced, and half the paper is references) I gladly welcome feedback!
Interesting topic and nice job on the literature review.
ReplyDeleteIMO, the internet is indeed a valuable tool for patients seeking info about whatever ails them or their loved ones. The usefullness runs the gambit from searchable pubmed abstracts and online medical journals, through support groups with dedicated moderators right on (down?) to somewhat sketchy Youtube medical testamonials.
I know you have an interest in Scoliosis and I want to point you in the direction of another group (mostly european) scoliosis-support.org. Thats the only group I know of that had a brief visit from a medical professional and she addressed questions from participants about a large medical trial she is conducting. I thought that was pretty unique.
Good luck with your project.
CD