Salon.com: Is there a doctor in the mouse?

It's great to be recognized for the important strides we are making to help patients navigate the complex and ever-changing world of online health information. It makes it especially great when an article written by a doctor points out that physicians themselves need just as much help figuring out the online health landscape.

Check out a great Health 2.0 article today "Is there a doctor in the mouse?" by Rahul K. Parikh, MD in online magazine Salon.com.

Dr. Parikh frames the problem:

The medical establishment...has taken way too much time to understand that the Internet is a disruptive innovation that has overturned the status quo. It has leveled the playing field between expert and novice -- in this case, doctor and patient. While some doctors ... may find that challenge threatening to their status as an expert, the Web is now providing the kind of information doctors need to be aware of if we want to continue to be good at our job, and the kind of trends that can help patients be smarter and healthier.

He describes the difference between OrganizedWisdom and Google

One example is Organized Wisdom, a search engine for medical issues. What gives it an edge over general search engines like Google and Yahoo is that its content is vetted by health professionals. If you type "autism" into Organized Wisdom, you'll receive an organized set of links to reliable sites that allow you to look at the symptoms of autism, potential treatments, research studies, and support groups. If you do the same using Google, the first site you'll see is Autism.org. If you click the link, you'll be taken to a page sponsored by groups preaching that vaccines are unsafe and favoring "alternative" treatments that are untested and potentially dangerous.

He wraps it up nicely...

Patients who, prior to a visit, consult information online can better share in the decision-making process with their doctor. Afterward, they can go online to find information that reinforces their decision or introduces them to viable alternatives.