I came across a new resource called HealthTap. Essentially you can submit questions to a physician via mobile and receive vetted, peer-reviewed health information back.
All doctors on HealthTap are licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. and are in good standing.
They include doctors from leading U.S. medical institutions (like Stanford, Harvard and Johns Hopkins), as well as private practices from across the country. Admission to the HealthTap network is by application and invitation only.
Health questions submitted to HealthTap are submitted to a network of thousands of doctor across the U.S. These doctors try to answer every question that’s submitted. Questions are most likely to be answered when they have not already been asked and answered, and they are good health questions. Almost every question submitted to HealthTap receives an answer most often within 24 hours.
In addition to answering health questions, the site provides healthy tips and health related updates and articles. And peers dentify the very best doctors, through a national Top Doctor competition spanning 128 specialties in over 3,100 cities across the United States.
The winners of the HealthTap 2013 Winter Top Doctor Competition includes: Top Doctor, Top Specialist, Most Influential Doctor, and Thought Leader Awards. Doctors judged peers based on their demonstrated medical knowledge and expertise, and consumers rated doctors on qualitative factors, such as bedside manner and personality.
Winners from the competition include:
Dr. James W. Ferguson, a Pediatrician in Waco, TX who won the Top pediatrician in the Nation Award for helping the most parents help their children live happier lives.
Through HealthTap Spectrum, now a part of all HealthTap’s apps on mobile devices and online, people can find doctor-created and rated content, including:
- Concise doctor updates on the latest health findings
- Daily health tips created by doctors in more than 100 topics
- Quick, personalized doctor answers to health questions
- Deep Health posts where doctor share their opinions and insights
- Transparent doctor-doctor consults and dialogues
“By giving top doctors a simple way to share their knowledge and opinions and get recognized by their colleagues for their expertise, and by users for their bedside manner and care, we’re creating a healthy competition that motivates the best doctors to stand out and help millions everywhere.”
I have not given the site full due diligence but intend to download the app and try it out.
Sites like this are all touch points in your health care journey. Consider all the resources offered out there carefully and most of all establish a trusting relationship with a primary care physician who can help you vett the information you find online.
