An article in a recent issue of the British Medical Journal traces the history of visiting patients in hospitals in England, from the 18th century to the present. Sadia Ismail and Graham Mulley paint quite a picture in their opening lines: From 2 pm they gather at the entrance to the ward, occasionally drifting through […]
May Old Acquaintance Be Recalled–Susannah Fox
Since it is the season for “Auld Lang Syne” and reconnecting with old acquaintances is an internet pastime, I wanted to link to a wonderful article by Wayne Cooke, a stage IV colon cancer survivor and true e-patient. I haven’t seen him in many years, but because of online storytelling, I am up to date […]
Talk of the Nation–Susannah Fox
I had the pleasure of being a guest on NPR’s Talk of the Nation yesterday, along with Dr. Scott Haig and Dr. Ted Eytan, to talk about “Do-It-Yourself Diagnosis on the Web.” (For a substantive summary of the show, check out Josh Seidman’s recap.) The producers were smart to kick things off with Dr. Haig’s […]
Googlers vs. e-patients vs. cyberchondriacs–Susannah Fox
Tara Parker-Pope’s blog, Well, sparked an outcry last week when she posted, “A Doctor’s Disdain for Medical ‘Googlers’”. Before you read her post and all the comments (275 so far), I recommend reading the actual Time column which inspired it all. I’d love to hear what people think about the issues raised, but I also […]
Patient Centered Health Information Technology–Susannah Fox
Does anyone else remember those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials from the 1980s? “Your peanut butter is in my chocolate!” “Your chocolate is in my peanut butter!” I knew I was getting older when I referred to a partnership as a “two great tastes that taste great together” event and my younger colleague had no […]
Open Internet vs. Closed Doctor-Directed Systems–Susannah Fox
Our research shows that most people just use a general search engine when they have a health question, but many report feeling overwhelmed by what they find. What’s the trade-off? What other resources are out there for e-patients?
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