Free ask a doctor online services can save lives with

both expert and novice input

Consumers not just looking to doctors for health information online

The latest poll results from eHealth Forum, a worldwide leader of Health 2.0 websites for medical questions, shows that people are clearly taking a dual approach to dealing with their medical and health issues.

The poll revealed that, out of 4,889 respondents, more than half prefer to consult with both a doctor and other patients about health conditions. Although medical experts or specialists remain a trusted source of information (more than one third of respondents prefer doctor-only input), patients prefer not to rely on doctor opinion alone 63% of the time. In fact, consulting other patients experiencing similar health issues seems highly important for people learning about medical conditions.

• 58% would rather consult BOTH a medical expert and other patients
• 37% would rather consult ONLY a medical expert or specialist
• 5% would rather consult ONLY other patients experiencing similar issues

Collaborative health information can save a life

The internet is leading the patient-centered healthcare movement across the nation.  Health 2.0 websites open two-way discussions about health conditions, and doctors can increasingly dialogue with this growing audience in new, meaningful ways.

Ask a Doctor services, like those at eHealth Forum, help bridge the information gap between doctors and patients while highlighting the importance of peer patient support.

“Online social health networks are increasingly informing patients on where, when and how to seek help when needed, a service that is made even more credible when backed by practicing physicians,” said Lee Weber, community director at eHealth Forum.  “In times of medical urgency, reliable and fast answers from peer groups can prevent further medical problems or even save a life.”

Recent quote from eHealth Forum’s Ask a Doctor section:

“This condition was killing me slowly…I now have a scope for this problem and more information for the best treatment. I couldn’t have done it without the help and expertise of Dr. Nikola. He gave me the courage and knowledge to help me talk to my doctors and know what to ask for and help me understand if treatment might be necessary.”

More case studies of real people using Ask a Doctor and how it has saved lives

Featured experts in eHealth Forum’s Ask a Doctor section include: Dr. Jeff Bailey, Dr. Leonard Grossman, Dr. Antonio Marotta D.C. and Dr. Robert Wascher.

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About the poll: The medical questions survey was implemented to identify who health consumers would rather consult for health information. The survey was conducted in the US, UK and Canada between April 3 - 21, 2009. 4889 respondents took part. Survey results are unbiased and collected anonymously from visitors to eHealthForum.com.

About eHealth Forum: eHealthforum.com was established in 2003 to help preserve and improve human life by bringing health-related information to all people via the internet. Members post medical questions within 200+ specific health topic areas and receive answers or support from peers and medical experts.   All forum content is reviewed by professional moderators to facilitate safe, open, meaningful, and informative interactions.

A top 1,000 Quantcast site, eHealth Forum.com has experienced 25-30% quarterly growth in recent years.  Typical visitors to eHealth Forum are aged 18-45 and over 60 percent are female (above the internet average). Traffic figures based on forecast analysis for Q3 2009.

2.9 M+  visits per month
5.0 M+  page views per month

More information about the Ask the Doctor Network

**Case Studies from the FREE TO USE eHealth Forum network**

Patient to patient: community health forums

“I am crying tears of joy after reading your member’s response to my medical situation. For the first time in two years you have suggested a medical diagnosis that actually makes perfect sense to me. My potassium level has dropped to 2.8, 2.7 and 2.9 in the last two years and I have woken in the middle of the night feeling like I might die at any second. It’s been the worst two years of my life so far. Now, I feel confident I can go back to my internal medicine physician with a new game plan. I will report back to the forums with my new findings.Thank you.” - Diana E.

“I was so thrilled to discover this website, in my search for more information on a back pain issue my Mom is having, and was so pleased to have received a detailed and caring answer from another member, the day after my first post. I look forward to being a part of this wonderful site…Thank you for this!” - Ontariogrrl

Doctor to patient: Ask a Doctor forums

“Thank you so much more than I can express. I saw the orthopedic doctor and he was planning on talking to me about back surgery for more stenosis, this time in upper lumbar, near my kidneys and pelvic areas where I have had infection bad recently. He was completely astonished by my rapid improvement on isoniazid, change in posture -straighter -and pain diminished and attitude greatly improved and just so much more energy and not so red-faced. I explained about the isoniazid helping so much, esp. my back.

He said: “Well you know you can get tuberculosis in the spine,” and I said “Yes! I know, and I think I may have it or some kind of infection there that is responding to the isoniazid.” He said I needed a spinal tap but could not order it due to his limitations, but he noted my chart and had me call the infectious disease doc and explain my improvements and request the test. Hopefully, I will have a scope for this problem and more information for the best treatment. I couldn’t have done it without the help and expertise of Dr. Nikola. He gave me the courage and knowledge to help me talk to my doctors and know what to ask for and help me understand if it might be necessary. He is a very great man. I wish him congratulations on his new fatherhood and thanks for his kind kind help. This “disease” or condition was slowly killing me, bit by bit, but now I feel like I at least have an idea of how I might get better. Thanks so much Lee for your all your help too. Very sincerely, curediwish

“I was very much impressed by by my answer, and guess what????? I visited my doctor and he told me the exact same thing, and I was put on norethisterone for the hormonal imbalance.. thank you so much and i will be visiting very often one again i say thanks!!!!!!!!! once again, many thanks!!!!!!!!!” - shana456

“Thank you for the response. As it was, your answer was correct. For the record, Dr. Aleksovski did respond faster than my Mum’s own pulmonologist did! So thank you for your help..” - Deb for Eunice

** End of case studies **

5,435 people ticked 33,191 boxes in eHealth Forum’s

latest probe into our lifestyle habits

April 29, 2009: Today, eHealth Forum.com, one of the most popular medical information resources serving the global public, releases the findings of its latest survey looking at how people prioritize their health, well being and vanity. While the results indicate that people are considering their basic health needs, over pampering and grooming, there are some surprisingly negative highlights. The lifestyle choices, identified by 5,435 people responding to 20 questions, indicate that a high number of damaging practices prevail in our day to day habits.

The Good News

• 52.33 percent drink enough water daily
• 40.53 percent take the stairs ahead of the lift
• 38.90 percent get eight hours sleep a night

The Bad News

• We’re still smoking! (over one third)
• And drinking to de-stress (one third)
• We’re not taking the time out to eat properly (one quarter)
• We consume too much caffeine (one fifth)
• And some still insist on using a sunbed or go out to tan without adequate protection!

eHealth Forum is one of the world’s largest and most popular health sites for consumers to research medical questions and Ask a Doctor online about specific health concerns. The site services 2.5 million users every month and since it was established, in 2003, eHealth Forum has received over 150,000 health related questions from regular users and visitors.

We like to look good on the outside. Survey respondents ticked 6,380 boxes (one third of the total count) to indicate their daily beauty regimes. However, on the inside, cigarettes, sun beds, coffee and having an alcoholic drink to unwind are still hard habits to break. Respondents to the survey checked 7,854 boxes in the survey that highlighted lifestyle practices negative to health.

Out of the 5,435 people who took part in the survey the following bad habits were identified:

• Using alcohol to unwind: 31.79 percent or 1,728 people
• Eating on the run: 25.35 percent or 1378 people
• Smoking: 35.66 percent or 1,250 people
• Drinking too much coffee (more than three cups per day): 19.72% or 1,072 people
• We want to tan/use sunbeds: 10 percent, or 479 people

Just over half of those who took part in the survey (52.33%*) admit to drinking the recommended daily amount of water or visit their dentist regularly (41.45%). Nearly half take the stairs instead of the elevator or lift where possible (40.53%), manage eight hours sleep a night (38.90%), prefer healthy eating (35.03%), have an optimistic attitude to life (33.45%), use sunscreen and make an effort to protect their skin (30.84%). A third will exercise for more than an hour each day (29.16%) and take vitamins and supplements (25.94%) and a fifth (21.32%) of those surveyed made sure they spent quality time alone each day. *Indicates number of ticked boxes in each section of the poll.

“I think that people are increasingly making healthy lifestyle choices as part of a general social trend that accepts this as the norm,” says Dr Andrijana Sterjovkska-Aleksovska, a family doctor.

“New media outlets like the internet reinforce what doctors like myself has been saying all along: preventative medicine and taking care of yourself are key to health and wellness. And people seem to be listening.”

eHealthForum was established in 2003 to help preserve and improve human life by bringing health-related information to all people via the internet. Health information on the site includes the Ask a Doctor forums, where members receive answers to medical questions from qualified experts for free.

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About the poll

These results are unbiased and collected anonymously from visitors to eHealth Forum.  The vanity vs. health survey was implemented to find out how well we look after our general health in comparison to beauty rituals and unhealthy habits. The survey was conducted in the US, UK and Canada between January 30 and April 3 2009. 5,435 respondents took part.  Poll results can be found here: medical information poll

About eHealthForum.com

eHealthForum is a top 10,000 health reference site that reaches over 1.75 M monthly users in the U.S., 300,000 users in the U.K. and 200,000 users in Canada. Typical visitors to eHealthForum are aged 18-45 and over 70 percent are female. Men make up 30 percent of the site’s average visitors.

More information

For a graph showing these statistics, and or more information, please contact … PR@ehealthforum.com

Medical information poll

The vanity vs. health survey was implemented to find out how well we look after our general health in comparison to beauty rituals and unhealthy habits. These results are unbiased and collected anonymously from some of eHealth Forum’s 2.5 million monthly visitors. The survey was conducted in the US, UK and Canada between January 30 and April 3 2009. 5,435 respondents took part.

Survey Results: The Economic Recession Gets Personal - Traffic to health questions site increases 300%

eHealth Forum highlights detrimental effects of downturn on individual health and holds out a supportive hand: Economic recession help forum

16^th February 2009: Today - eHealth Forum, one of the world’s largest health sites, releases unsettling data regarding the direct effects the recession is having on respondents to its latest online survey. Over 3,000 people from US, UK and Canada answered questions relating to impact of the world’s economic downturn on their personal lives. In response to the concerning results, eHealth Forum has also created a special forum to help people cope with the fall out of the recession.

eHealth Forum is a global health site dedicated to the people that use it. Members ask medical questions, join in discussions, simply listen, or offer and exchange helpful words and ideas. The site currently has over 2.5 million users a month and is available for free 24/7.

Health and the economic recession survey results:

Almost 60 percent (55.58% or 1,669 respondents) said that their sleep was affected with financial worries. Nearly 46 percent (45.82 % or 1,376 respondents) admitted that the were trying to hide their worries from their families. Over a quarter were concerned about losing their jobs (26.47% 795 respondents) and half were more irritable than usual, probably due to lack of sleep and anxiety (48.5% or 1,443 respondents) with a further 50 percent (50.65% and 1,521 respondents) noticing more tension in the head, neck and shoulders than usual.

The most crushing statistic of this recent poll, is that more than one third of participants (1,082 respondents) had recently gone without something in order to provide for their families… Pushing financial concerns to the back of one’s mind actually make the problem worse. Escalating anxiety and festering issues can do yet more damage in the long run.

eHealth Forum community director, Lee Weber, said: “People are already showing very obvious signs of getting depressed and anxious about the current economic situation; we’ve seen a 300 percent increase in traffic to our depression forum, and 400 percent increase in our anxiety and stress forums. By encouraging people, and those around them, to offload their worries on the new Recession Forum at ehealthforum.com, we hope to share the load for those struggling with the emotional and physical effects of the global economic meltdown.”

This poll ran from January 12 - 30, 2009 and on two other days: December 17, 2008 and January 9, 2009.

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About eHealth Forum: www.ehealthforum.com was established in 2003 to help preserve and improve human life by bringing health-related information to all people via the internet. Members post medical questions within 200+ specific health topic areas and receive answers or support from peers. All forum content is reviewed to facilitate safe, open, meaningful, and informative interactions.

A top 2,000 Quantcast site, eHealthForum.com reaches over

• Visits:            2.5M+
• Page views:    4.5M+
• Impressions   14.M+

… every month

Typical visitors to eHealth Forum are aged 18-45 and over 60 percent are female (above the internet average). Traffic figures based on forecast analysis for Q1 2009

eHealthForum launches free medical office forms to help combat patient / doctor communication barriers and improve health care service resources

NEWS FLASH: Being ill-prepared can have ill effects. A new poll from eHealthForum suggests that patients don’t know how to communicate effectively with their medical practitioner. This can lead to wasted appointment time, wasted money, misdiagnoses and even the wrong prescriptions being issued…

27^th January 2009. WORLDWIDE : Today, eHealthForum, one of the world’s largest online health sites, makes printable medical forms available to help patients and doctors all over the world maximize the quality of every consultation. The pack, which is free to download, has been created following the revelations from eHealthForum’s latest universal poll* showing that 65.04 percent of people asked do little, if any, preparation before visiting the doctor. Of these, more than six percent don’t know where to start in preparing to communicate with their health practitioner and 31.38 percent make only a mental note of their symptoms.

The statistics of the survey sample cite that only one third (34.97 percent) of people asked take responsibility for their health care appointment by writing down a list of symptoms, keeping a diary (15.27 percent) and researching possible diagnoses based on their symptoms (19.70 percent).

An appointment with the doctor requires two way communication

On average a medical practitioner has just ten minutes allocated to each consultation. Therefore, it is vital to collect all necessary information quickly and accurately in order to treat the individual successfully inside this limited time frame. However, patient shyness and an inability to identity thoughts and feelings - both physical and mental - can become become a barrier to getting the right health care. These forms can help the patient to help themselves to identify, monitor and note symptoms and lifestyle habits to help the doctor make an informed decision.

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov, a primary care physician, says, “Clear communication between doctor and patient is vital. The consequences of miscommunication can result in inappropriate prescriptions and at worst, a court case. Patients often need help to convey their medical concerns clearly and the new forms from eHealthForum will help patients to be more organized before they come into my office, meaning that I may help them get better, faster. In fact, these printable medical forms will be very helpful in many a clinical setting.”

Free medical form templates: CHECKLIST: It is not always the most prominent or physical signs that are characteristic to the problem in hand. This checklist will help people to think what else might be useful for the doctor to know, such as less obvious symptoms in other parts of the body. For example, characterization, triggers and concurrent symptoms can all provide vital clues to help the medical practitioner make a more accurate diagnosis.

Free printable medical forms: MEDICATIONS Not mentioning a particular drug being taken and then being prescribed one that is not complementary could be dangerous. This form helps patients keep track of their medication and could provide vital information for the prescribing doctor. In addition, patients visiting a surgery that is not their regular (being on holiday or a business trip for example) would find this a useful form to download. It’s also useful for carers, friends and family to know about in the event of an emergency.

Free medical forms online: OFFICE VISIT This form addresses the more daunting areas of a consultation that some patients might find awkward. It includes advice and suggestions about what to take to an appointment and how to get the best information during the consultation; such as asking for clarification about a medical term, medication instructions and how to get a second opinion.

Marc Turkovic, a partner at eHealthForum says: “What this research indicates is a surprising lack of self help in terms of getting the most out of a doctors appointment. Our existing online resource is very open, approachable, caring, helpful and 100 percent interactive. By adding these forms to our service I hope to help combat some of the issues that can arise from miscommunication in health care. You don’t even have to be a member of our community to access them, they are freely available to all.”

All the forms are available to download for free at any time from: Download free medical forms here

* Conducted between 4^th November 2008 and 5^th January 2009

1,447 participants in UK and USA

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About eHealthForum (www.ehealthforum.com)

www.ehealthforum.com was established in 2003 to help preserve and improve human life by bringing health-related information to all people via the internet. Members post medical questions within 200+ specific health topic areas and receive answers or support from peers. All forum content is reviewed to facilitate safe, open, meaningful, and informative interactions. A top 2,000 Quantcast site, eHealthForum.com reaches over:

Visits: 2.5M+
Page views: 4.5M+
Impressions: 14.M+

Typical visitors to eHealthForum are aged 18-45 and over 60 percent are female (above the internet average). Traffic figures based on forecast analysis for Q1 2009

10^th December 2008: One of the world’s largest health sites, www.ehealthforum.com just completed its annual survey about attitudes to the flu virus. The results clearly show that underlying - yet vital - messages are still not getting through. Over half the people surveyed (58.57%) were not planning to get the flu vaccine at all and almost 16 percent (15.96%) of the sample were unclear if the jab is recommended for them or when to get inoculated.

Only a quarter (25.46%) of people surveyed were planning to get the vaccine in the next few weeks or months. However, for many this could still be too late.

Flu is highly infections and spreads fast. It can be caught through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. High risk categories, such as the elderly or those with lowered immune systems, are under greater threat. For these groups the flu virus can increase the risk of more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia. In extreme cases, flu can result in hospitalisation and even death.

The flu isn’t just about you: Protect everyone around you as well by getting the flu vaccine

Flu will infect anyone that it touches, making it potentially a very dangerous virus. Seemingly healthy people can pass it on to more vulnerable people during incubation - and it is this message that people seem to be missing.

Lee Weber, community director at eHealthForum said about the poll: “People are still only thinking about the catching the flu personally. What they should be thinking about is protecting the many others around them such as; family, shop keepers, work colleagues and friends, should they get struck down. By vaccinating ourselves we’re playing a key role in helping to stop the virus quickly spreading to epidemic proportions.”

Who, why and when should you have the vaccine?

The viruses that cause flu change ever year. Therefore, if you are a high risk group it is even more important to get vaccinated against new strains annually. One of the most common mistakes is that people wait for an epidemic or assume that they don’t need another jab because they had one last year.

You should have the jab as a matter of course if you are over 65 years of age. It is also safe to have the vaccine if you are pregnant.

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About the poll

The survey was conducted in the US and UK between September 29 and December 9, 2008.

1500 respondents took part

About eHealthForum.com

eHealthForum was established five years ago to help preserve and improve human life by bringing health-related information to all people via the internet. The online community connects people of all national, religious and cultural backgrounds who want to reach out about their medical concerns. The site’s forums provide a place for people to express themselves and connect with others dealing with medical issues. It is a sanctuary of comfort, understanding and information.

eHealthForum is a top 10,000 health reference site that reaches over 1,100,000 users in the U.S., 150,000 users in the U.K. and 115,000 users in Canada. Typical visitors to eHealthForum are aged 18-45 and over 70 percent are female. Men make up 30 percent of the site’s average visitors.

More information

For further information please contact: PR@ehealthforum.com

Media can no longer purchase attention: ‘Intention’ is the new currency

Is your social network killing your advertising revenues?

By Marc Turkovic, development manager, eHealthForum: November 2008

The importance of social media is growing at a rate that marketers can not afford to ignore. With social networking sites at the forefront (Comscore reported 25% growth worldwide in the sector during the past year), C2C sites are clearly changing the way we think about media and influence. A recent survey of communications specialists across a wide range of industries found that 78% of marketers use blogs, 63% use online video, 56% use social networks and 49% use podcasts in their organization’s communications initiatives. The study, “New Media, New Influencers“, also reported that only 3% percent of communications professionals declare social media has little or no value to their communications initiatives.

Social networks are especially interesting to investors at the moment. The July 2008 Social Media Deals Report by Context Next indicates that social networks were by far the most active social media from Q1 2007 - Q1 2008 with over $600 million invested in 113 companies. “Money continues to flow in and out of the category, which seems to continue to grow in depth and context,” the report summarizes.

So why all the hype?

Simply, information dissemination is by the people for the people. Not only are users posting a massive variety of content, but user-based content is valued. For example, Google seems interested in “democratizing” information (given its current algorithms). In the past few years bloggers, comments, and message boards are continually indexed and gaining rank in Google’s page rank system. Consequently, a bottom-up philosophy no longer favours corporate players. Nonetheless, site managers must mould social networks into a lucrative product before media buyers will be interested.

Beware of chat zones

There are two types of online communities. The first is a straight social network with a focus on chat. On such sites, the primary user need is interaction. As the structure of such websites changes to meet this demand, banner ads are becoming less effective. Messaging friends takes precedence over gathering information; users ignore contextual ads when their main goal is to “write on someone’s wall”.  So, social sites facilitate and engage conversation - at the expense of ad campaigns.

For example, studies estimate that the CTR on chat sites are 8-10 times less than a “regular” website hosting static content. Valley Wag approximated a 0.04% CTR for Facebook ads in March of 2007 and at 0.10% CTR. Recently, an independent advertiser reported CTR .08% on his Facebook ads in (February 2008). AOL discovered a similar trend on AIM’s chat platform. Clearly, on straight social networks, people talk to each other more and are paying less attention to the ads.

But how do these sites make any money?  Users simply aren’t looking to solve problems in online social communities.  To compensate, straight social networks focus on volume of users and page views to balance out low CPM.  Nonetheless, the social context of this type of social media decreases the value of ads.  Site managers, beware! CTR can plummet in a chat zone.

How to create value in social media

On the other hand, content driven social networks engage users in their quest to find information. These may work best as media platforms because they draw users for reasons other than just messaging one another. These social sites meet the need to learn or communicate about a particular topic. It is here that users participate to fix problems and share solutions. Therefore, if the ad content is oriented toward a specific vertical, a social network can experience better conversion. By controlling the context around the ad and keeping content “on topic”, site owners enhance the value of the ad, thereby increasing CTR.

The fact is, media can no longer purchase ‘attention’. The new currency is ‘intention’. Sites need to specify their ‘intentions’ in order to attract the big buyers of social media. Further, social media that is content driven can piggyback off a pre-existing need that drives online service usage.

Seven Steps to attract big buck advertisers

Becoming an interesting social network for media buyers will result in higher CPMs and overall revenue. This is because advertisers are attracted to contextual spaces within their vertical. Content is still king, but quality content brings home the bacon. Content-driven social networks must find a niche and then make moderation a priority, which is central to distinguishing themselves from a chat community (low revenue CPMs).

Moderate interactions

1. Weed out problem users. Ban troublesome users who dwell in negativity or who are not aligned with the mission of your site.

2. Automate communication processes via software. Identify and create template emails and messages.

3. Identify and mobilize community leaders to become allies. Recruit and manage expert volunteers to support your mission and endorse/legitimize decisions by consensus. Then, allow these volunteers to feel important by managing the content. Finally, encourage volunteers to generate quality content and manage the relationships via recognition and appreciation.

4. Be open to feedback and improvements. Use the community at the source of your inspiration to identify development needs.

Moderate content

5. Create a strong terms of use and clear policies. Set high standards for what is tolerated/not tolerated in the community. Set high standards for links — only allow links to other known authorities.

6. Be tough on spammers. Systemically delete spamming content. Completely ban and block spammers to prevent further problems.

7. Make it easy for anyone to participate in content moderation. Emphasize self-government to allow members to do the work for you.

When site owners create an environment where valuable information based on user-experience can be freely exchanged, the model feeds itself. Quality content is consumed and generated in a cycle … and the model will further attract experts within the vertical to participate, bringing even more value to the information. Ideally, a top-notch community of experts capable of generating quality content, that pleases users, should fuel the cycle.

In short: More page views + increasing recognition = value.

eHealthForum advises that looking after yourself properly can help keep your job safe

23^rd October 2008 - A recent poll by one of the world’s largest health sites, www.ehealthforum.com, shows that almost a third (30.22 percent) of people surveyed feel guilty about taking the time to attend a doctor’s appointment during office hours. The results showed that 28.69 percent of people in the US felt mild to extreme guilt, 28.27 percent of Canadians and 35.4 percent of Brits followed suit.

There is a tendency to be competitive about being seen to be working hardest, longest and loudest in an effort to stay off the redundancy list. Sadly, taking the time out to visit the doctor all too often falls by the wayside. The effects of this are longer recovery times, potentially infecting your colleagues with viruses or in terms of mental health, a sharp slide into a debilitating depression.

Another recent stress poll - from the American Psychological Association (April) - found that three quarters of Americans are stressed about job and financial security. As the global recession began to reveal itself in September, nearly half of the respondents reported that the emotional strains resulting from financial stress were taking a toll on their professional and personal lives.

Hard times notoriously result in increased deaths from heart disease, cirrhosis and suicide; miscarriages rise and mental hospitals experience a sharp spike in admissions. Medical science has proven that poverty and unemployment are linked to higher rates of addiction, anxiety and stress, eating disorders, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, depression and a whole host of cancers. Some telephone support lines are reporting a 75 percent increase in calls related to stress and the economy in the last few months.

Help is at your fingertips!

Perhaps one of the most helpful messages that arise during hard times is that you are not alone. The fact that you can interact with thousands of others all over the world by using community sites such as eHealth Forum can be very comforting.

The good news is that there is free and independent help available for those who feel they need it. eHealth Forum has sections on its site that hold out an ear, a shoulder and the sharing of experiences in a helpful and supportive way. Now, you can find help in all manner of symptoms relating to work stress and the recession in one simple click: Recession Crisis Support.

The company has just launched a new way for people to seek help and advice relating to their work stress and recession problems in one location. Topics covered by the Recession Crisis forums include: panic attack, sleep disorders, abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, acne and other skin disorders, colds and flu, migraine and headaches, and high blood pressure symptoms.

Mark Turkovic, co-founder of eHealth Forum said: “The results of this poll are particularly worrying as people are already stressed out about the global financial crisis. Add in that they are skipping doctor’s appointments, or ignoring symptoms altogether due to work pressures, only makes matters worse in both the short and long term.”

Dr. Nikola Gjzelov, attending online doctor at eHealth Forum advises: “The trick is to notice and act upon your ailments - both mental and physical - as soon as possible. By identifying the root of the problem and getting it sorted you stand the best chance of a speedy recovery. In turn, this will help you do your job more effectively and enable you to get out of bed with less dread about the working day ahead - thereby promoting a positive mental attitude.”

Family households hit by the recession can suffer the most. The economic effects of a downturn potentially cause stress so severe it cannot be shaken off at home. Consequentially, this can affect parent bonding and consequently childhood development and security.

eHealth Forum offers top tips for beating the symptomatic problems of a recession

1.      If you need help - get it - straight away. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be back to your old self and ready to tackle other issues more efficiently.

2.      Eat well and eat together. Take your time and spend at least 45 - 60 minutes at the table to promote healthy digestion. This extra time together both saves money on ingredients and the social element can be mentally and emotionally supportive through hard times.

3.      Go to bed early. Cutting down on external socialising and stimulation via television or computer at least 2-3 hours before bedtime helps the nervous system relax.  It is very important to rest your mind, body and soul, so take advantage of the winter downturn to get a full eight hours (or more).

4.      Go for a long walk at the weekend and aim to exercise at least 20-30 minutes daily. Exercise is not only good for the heart, it is good for the brain and releases endorphins; all great factors to feeling better, fitter, fresher and ready to get to grips with the week ahead.

5.      Take steps to prevent illness, such as taking daily multivitamins and/or immune enhancing supplements.  Vitamin C, Echinacea, goldenseal and other natural products can boost immunity when taken in large enough doses during viral seasons.

The message is clear: If you need to go to the doctor then make an appointment - and keep it. One hour out of the office is just as long as a lunch break. By keeping your appointment you are not only helping yourself, you will be helping your colleagues by not passing on your germs or appearing mentally affected and less effective at work. Being more effective at work can help keep you out of the firing line during tough times.

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About the poll

1,882 respondents across UK, Canada and US.

Demographic

70% female, 30% male response

US 54%

UK 27%

Canada 19%

Conducted July 31, 2008 - September 29, 2008

About eHealthForum.com

eHealthForum was established five years ago to help preserve and improve human life by bringing health-related information to all people via the internet. The online community connects people of all national, religious and cultural backgrounds who want to reach out about their medical concerns. The site’s forums provide a place for people to express themselves and connect with others dealing with medical issues. It is a sanctuary of comfort, understanding and information.

eHealthForum is a top 10,000 health reference site that reaches over 1,100,000 users in the U.S., 150,000 users in the U.K. and 115,000 users in Canada. Typical visitors to eHealthForum are aged 18-45 and over 70 percent are female. Men make up 30 percent of the site’s average visitors.

More information

For further information please contact: PR@ehealthforum.com

Consumers increasingly access information once reserved exclusively for the medical establishment

By Lee Hart Weber, community director, eHealthForum: October 2008

From its mainstream debut in 1992, the internet has profoundly impacted patient access to health information.  Increasingly, people are seeking answers to their medical questions, checking out their symptoms, and self-diagnosing…online.  With 1 billion people online, 100 million unique websites[1] and countless health related pages to choose from, the internet plays a central role in creating an informed patient population.

A Growing Demand

It’s estimated today that more than 220 million people in the United States use the internet.  What’s more, the web usage from this demographic increased at a rate of about 115.7 per cent from 2000-2007 [2] and continues to balloon.  In fact, 30.1 per cent of the continent’s population has yet to log in…meaning that we’ll be seeing more and more people join the e-revolution in the next decade.

Online Patients and Autonomy

Access to medical information is a valuable resource for those wanting to know more about a particular condition and enhance autonomy as a patient[3].  But just how are patients using the internet to answer medical questions?

Increasingly, people are taking charge of researching health issues via online community forums and “Ask a Doctor Online” services. Even web based search engines such as Google are becoming the latest tools in clinical medicine, as patients dig up relevant health-related content.

Surveys suggest that online information directly influences users’ decision-making and interactions with medical professionals[4].  In fact, the modern patient is presenting an internet diagnosis and treatment plan to their doctor.  Trouble is, sometimes the information a patient finds is inaccurate or highly biased.  So, how does a consumer sort the good from the bad info?

Healthcare consumers should be skeptical in their approach to internet health research.  “You’re only as good as the sources of your information” is a wonderful motto for the 21^st century. To make it easier to discern between sites, certifying boards such as Health on the Net help verify medical websites’ authenticity.  Consumers can trust the Health on the Net emblem, or HONcode, which is the industry’s stamp of approval.

Researching ailments or treatment programs online, before visiting the surgery, can enhance the consultation experience for both doctor and patient. Investigating in advance helps people to prepare for their visit to the doctor. For example, provoking more in-depth questions to ask and highlighting extra information that could be useful to share during the session.

J. Sybil Biermann, M.D. and orthopedic surgeon, says: “The patients who have done extensive searches are often well informed and you can spend less time on the basics and more time on the finer points” of treatment.”[5] People who create open, collaborative relationships with health care providers can synthesize individual findings with their doctor’s experience.  Moreover, people who question the relevance and applicability of internet research findings to a treatment plan are more likely to be more fully and correctly informed.  In sum, the web and the establishment may compliment one another.  Judiciously used, the web can help people help themselves.

The Online Health Community: Bond and Belong

“The history of humanity is the history of being part of a group, having a group mentality,” says Professor Rebecca Grinter of Georgia Tech’s College of Computing.[6] “The internet makes a whole other set of those groups possible [that] don’t have to be physically proximate,” she said.  In other words, people need and use groups.  Interestingly, in the electronic age, cyberspace users are doing just this. They find one another and establish communities naturally, with health concerns in common.

So, what does an online health community look like?

Mail lists, discussion groups, and health forums help an individual patient connect with hundreds of others experiencing or researching similar medical symptoms.  Sites such as eHealth Forum.com and networking groups on Yahoo or MySpace, for example, often bridge the gap between clinical and practical need in health care.  Online health communities offer compassion and advice.  Further, online communities are places to share practical and non-clinical information. “There are relatively few face-to-face support groups for lung cancer,” says.  Karen Parles, a woman who developed localized lung cancer in mid-life.  Her online health community,” is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is no commute or session time parameter. Because of the sheer numbers of patients online, I was able to find others just like myself, and I no longer felt like the only 38-year-old nonsmoker on the planet with lung cancer.”

Social health networks are crucial to helping people feel supported; social networks are a place to bond and belong. “You can ask other patients specific questions about your treatment or your diagnosis, questions that would take a lot of time to research on the open internet,” says Parles. Further, shared information and experiences can provide patients a feeling of being more in control over their disease: “The information I learn on the internet enables me to ask different questions, to affect the agenda and to feel involved in my care.”

Furthermore, trend in internet-based consultation is growing. Ask A Doctor services are appreciated for their convenience and flexibility. Most patients get answers to their medical questions within hours or days, in the comfort of the home, without making a physically present appointment.  Plus, the mode of communication enables patients the ability to reflect on a written answer without having to hurry. It can also help minimize doctor patent barriers such as inhibitions, especially when discussing more personal ailments that could otherwise be dangerously ignored. What’s more, Ask a Doctor answers can be read more than once by the online medical consultant.

However, this medium has begun huge debate about ethics within the medical establishment. Some individuals, and special interest groups, cite patient security and doctor responsibility as potential gaps for breaches in medical ethics. They claim that nothing can replace face-to-face consultation and care. Yet most North Americans are not satisfied by the “in-house” treatment they receive.  Even more, most Ask a Doctor services attempt to educate rather than diagnose. Plus, tools are being created to move medical care deeper into e-health.  Doctors already answer patient questions in emails for example.   And internet-based systems are being developed to collect a patient’s medical history that tailors medical information according to patient response.

So can internet-based consultation truly complement traditional health care?

As long as some basic requirements are met and the restrictions of “Ask a Doctor” services acknowledged, then yes.  First, informed consent requires fair and honest labeling.  Health professionals must also maintain patient confidentiality. And, finally, doctors online must define internal e-procedures.  As Gunther Eysenbach of the University of Heidelberg’s Department Of Clinical Social Medicine states, “Different media are appropriate at each point on the continuum between dispensing general health information and handling patient problems that would require the practice of medicine to solve. For example, email is a sufficiently capable medium for giving out general health information, while diagnosis and treatment usually requires at least advanced telemedical technology.”[7]

The Doctor-Patient Relationship Revised

Such revolutionary social change must, then, impact social establishment …but how?  and to what extent? The UK’s Clincial Medicine has stated the internet provides an unparalleled opportunity to revolutionize medical education to include: bedside decision-making, patient records and communication between professionals and patients[8].  And the American Medical Association recognizes that access to medical information, “has the potential to speed the transformation of the patient-physician relationship from that of physician authority ministering advice and treatment … to that of shared decision making between patient and physician.”[9] But will physicians be willing to share in this new medical experience with patients? Or will their access to information (and thereby power) be challenged or threatened? Will physicians employ disciplinary strategies that reinforce traditional patient roles and alienate patients who use the internet? Or will doctors manage patient understanding by balancing personal experience with clinical trial?  More findings will unravel as eHealth information and trends toward patient autonomy develop.

[1] CNN 100 Million Websites

[2] Internet World Statistics

[3] “The internet doctor and medical ethics. Ethical implications of the introduction of the internet into medical encounters” Collste G; Medicine, Health Care, And Philosophy [Med Health Care Philos] 2002; Vol. 5 (2), pp. 121-5.

[4] Fox S, Rainie L, Horrigan J, Lenhart A, Spooner T, Burke Met al. The online health care revolution: how the web helps Americans take better care of themselves. Washington: The Pew internet and American Life Project, 2000 http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report ˆ 26 (accessed 6 August 2001)

[5] Biermann, J.S., Golladay, G.J., Greenfield, M.L. & Baker, L.H. (1999). Evaluating cancer information on the internet. Cancer, 86(3), 381-390.

[6] CNN 100 Million Websites

[7] JMIR, Journal of Medical Internet Research

[8] “Doctors, patients and the internet: time to grasp the nettle.”:Sastry S; Carroll PAuthor’s Clinical Medicine (London, England) [Clin Med] 2002 Mar-Apr; Vol. 2 (2), pp. 131-3. P

[9] AMA, American Medical Association