Social Medicine opens the doors for patients that were not previously made
available. Patients now have the opportunity for:
* Instant two way communication to help bring patients closer
* Supportive communities through enhanced functionality
* Friend circles to allow patients to connect and bond with others globally
Social Medicine (Social-medicine.org), a health based social networking site,
helps people suffering from a variety of health conditions, to globally
connect, help and share information with others in similar situations, by
focusing on bridging the gap of patient-to-patient communication, and
patient-to-practitioner communication, with all the social networking features
and functionality expected in today’s society.
Community Support:
Social
Medicine fosters community support, where real people in
similar situations come together, to circumvent negative feelings like
disconnection and loneliness, and focus on improving self-esteem,
understanding, communication, relationships, and peer support.
"As a psoriasis sufferer, I know first hand how hard it can be to deal
with an illness, without that all essential support from people who truly
understand. After spending years managing my condition alone, I turned to the
Internet for help. I found a sheer number of forums, blogs, and communities, in
which psoriasis was discussed, but I didn't find it to be a personal
experience," says Michael Dornan, the creator of Social Medicine.
Social Medicine’s online health communities does not show any geographical
boundaries; anonymity from stigmatizing, embarrassing, and sensitive issues;
increasing self-disclosure; and encouraging honesty. Even people with rare
diseases can find peers online. The anonymity of online communities may
facilitate the participation of certain people, who may be culturally and
socially conditioned not to ask for help and support.
Understanding Patient’s Difficulties:
Why are patients turning to the web for information? There are increasing
demands of consumer driven health content. It is seen that 48% of people with
cancer reported that they had insufficient information provided by their
physicians, while 20% were not satisfied with the information given and 39% of
women with breast cancer indicated that they wished that they had help with
knowing what questions to ask. (Gunther Eysenbach MD, MPH, The Impact Of
Internet On Cancer Outcomes, American Cancer Society, 2003). However,
dissatisfaction with information provided is not the only reason why patients
turn to the Internet.
Social
Medicine aims to better understand how people are connecting
and sharing information about their medical conditions, the various treatments
and products they are using. As communication on medical conditions is already
undertaken in forums to some extent, these forums are now falling behind in
functionality that would significantly improve patient’s experiences if
communication was shared on social networking platforms.
There is a great need for more information. Patients want to know what other
patients have done, used or experienced with their condition. The provision of
information provided to patients has been shown to help them gain control,
reduce anxiety, create realistic expectations, promote self-care and
participation, and generate feelings of safety and security. The satisfaction
with information provided has been shown to correlate with quality of life.
People, who feel satisfied with the adequacy of information given, are more
likely to feel happy with their level of participation and in the overall
process of decision-making.
Psoriasis Social, the initial platform that paved the way for Social Medicine,
demonstrated that patients understood what a social network for their condition
offered over forums and other sites. "Psoriasis Social took off with a
speed that surprised me. In a short period of time approximately 400 people
globally, registered and became friends. My simple goal was to give psoriasis
sufferers a voice, a sounding board, and a close-knit and supportive community
for people who understood, what it was like to live with the condition. Soon
Social Medicine was born, a platform for those who suffer from a range of
illnesses and conditions, now have a community driven support network, and an
avenue for organisations who may like to reach out to people via this platform
or support its development," says Michael Dornan, founder of Social
Medicine.
Press & Media Contact:
Michael Dornan
Social-Medicine.org
Melbourne, Australia
6143117489
