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72 Million People Want To Know

The Wall Street Journal on what's new in health web sites;
"The Internet has long drawn people seeking information about health care. Last year, health Web sites drew about 72 million unique visitors, up 14% from a year earlier, according to comScore Inc., an online-marketing research firm that tracks some 200 such sites. Such strong growth comes as sites increasingly focus on some of today's leading consumer health concerns, including prescription-drug safety, quality of care, and the ability to network with other patients facing similar health problems..."  (emphasis mine.)
I think patient-to-patient networking is a powerful trend, feared by many practitioners but inevitable and, ultimately, empowering.

Here's the New York Times on PatientsLikeMe, an internet start-up that "may be a big step forward in medical science or just a MySpace for the afflicted."  Interesting.  Users seem relatively unconcerned about HIPAA or their physician's objections, viewing both as impediments to getting well.


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