Well things at Allevio are busy as ever as we prepare to open the Toronto Flagship location! So much time and effort is being put into the details of construction, equipment, building the best team possible, and everything else that will go into the Allevio experience, we haven’t had time to really focus in a meaningful way on our blog and pointing social media links to resources we think our colleagues, and future patients will benefit from.
But because we haven’t had a chance to do it doesn’t mean it’s not important, To us, to you, or to the rest of the on-line medical world.
This evening, while posting job descriptions and testing out the comfort of some very comfortable anti-microbial chairs, I was going through our Twitter account and updating it with some new friends and feeds we think are worth following. While doing it, I read this article on KevinMD.com, It totally hit home and reminded me of why we are writing the blog, hosting the Twitter feed, and putting effort into social media: To bring the best possible online resources to both fellow caregivers, and those patients looking for a community or resources they can trust.
This article in particular, written by Claire McCarthy MD for the blog, really hit the point home. She is a doctor who connected with an online community because she too was a parent in need of information and support. She quotes PEW Internet as saying:
Of the 79 percent of caregivers who have Internet access, 88 percent look for health information online. They are more likely to read someone else’s personal health story online, more likely to follow the health experiences of others on social media and more likely to look for people with similar health concerns. They are also more likely to read online rankings or reviews of treatments, doctors and hospitals.
Another PEW Report, released May 2011, on the topic, mentioned in Dr. McCarthy’s blog:
Our data consistently show that doctors, nurses, and other health professionals continue to be the first choice for most people with health concerns, but online resources, including advice from peers, are a significant source of health information in the U.S.
The Allevio team plan to be a group that join patents and fellow practitioners online in bringing together communities for information and support, and ensuring that quality, evidence-based and reputable information, can be easily found by caregivers and patients alike.