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Medpedia Answers
(General Medicine)Medpedia Answers is a platform for asking and answering questions about health and medicine. Read more.
Does anyone feel that the Medpedia "Answers" run the risk of being used in place of a proper medical evaluation?
I worry sometimes that the "Answers" to some "Questions" posted are being stated much too definitively, especially when coming from non-medically trained individuals. I would imagine that the purpose of the QA forum is exchange information/experience. Sometimes the posts come across as being answers in place of having a formal medical evaluation. Thoughts?
Male
asked Aug 04, 2010 at 10:10PM in General Medicine
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1Votes
answered Aug 07, 2010 at 03:53PMReading Medpedia's response on an official policy page would be " Questions and answers are to be used for general information purposes only, not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice. Inappropriate questions will be flagged and deleted by the community. " Most all medical questions which have personal significance for the reader should be "taken with a grain of salt" so-to-speak since every person's medical condition, medical history and living environment will be different and what is an appropriate answer for some will not be appropriate for all, even if it is coming from "trained" individuals. Always check with a doctor who knows you. ..Maurice. -
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answered Aug 07, 2010 at 07:10PMOh I agree completely. I just think that some of the answer posts are presented in an authoritative tone yet from someone who is not a trained health care provider. The tone is usually one of a particular agenda. I become concerned because unlike you, who knows how big the grains of salt can be, a lot of folks may not........ -
2Votesanswered Aug 07, 2010 at 07:37PMAnd I fully agree with Dr. Williams. The issue, I think, which is brought up by this question is whether something can be done beyond a written official disclaimer to protect the reader to a higher degree from frankly agenda driven advice or information which sounds authentic but is really not. One way, is of course what is currently occurring: other Answer respondents writing additional comments attempting to correct errors or present arguments and documentation to de-emphasize grossly unreliable agenda driven advice. Unfortunately such feedback corrective comments can potentially lead to impolite back and forth. One obvious suggestion would be more editorial supervision, however I am not sure how practical it would be and whether this would tend to inhibit initiation and responses to reasonable questions.
I think that all who participate in Medpedia Question and Answers should consider Dr. Williams' general concern and comment here on approaches to make the responses to questions a bit more reliable and require reader to use a bit less salt. Any suggestions? ..Maurice. -
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answered Aug 09, 2010 at 10:22AMI have answered some health questions, as well as asked some. Even in the areas I am familiar with, namely NH lymphoma, small lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, I am really feeling uncomfortable about participation in the Questions and Answers. When I did answer, I found a legitimate website like PubMed, WebMD, or E medicine, which actually provided information the questioner was seeking, and gave the link. I also always mentioned that any concerns should be addressed by seeing a physician. I will not be answering medically related questions on Medpedia anymore, as I now fully believe that only physicians have the qualifications to provide an answer, and even so, the best qualified physician on Medpedia does not know the person asking the question, what his or her life is, comorbidities, mental health status, cultural values, and so forth, so is it really useful?
By the way, I asked a Medpedia adminstrator to encourage a physician to join with me on the lymphoma patient community, in case people do have medically related lymphoma (and there are many varieties) questions. So far, no takers!-
Correction: SLL is small lymphocytic lymphoma (not leukemia)Kim M Robinson commented Aug 12, 2010 at 12:35PM
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2Votesanswered Aug 09, 2010 at 10:47AMI think the only way to solve this matter is to have readers who pick up apparent errors or purely self-serving advocacy to post a comment in a civil and not ad hominem manner and document the correction with appropriate links or notify Medpedia staff regarding suspicions of improper advocacy. After all this..then continue "reader beware" disclaimers. ..Maurice.
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5VotesI agree with these comments. If one has an authoritative tone, even if one is not trained with a medical background, it can be confusing to readers looking for answers to medical questions.
In addition, readers should know (and I'm hoping that most know this) that the Internet, Web MD, etc. only provide a certain amount of information; there's no substitute for going to one's doctor and getting the answers to medical questions that way. Medpedia is a forum where there's discussion that's encouraged, and so with any discussion, there can be flawed or misinterpreted information.
As for me, I do answer questions, but only ones I feel comfortable in answering, not medically technical ones. As someone who has been a breast cancer patient, I do have knowledge from a patient's point of view and a lot of knowledge about how to advocate for oneself. I enjoy sharing what I know, but at the same time, I often recommend that people see their doctors for more information.
I understand that I'm not a doctor, so I'm not qualified to offer specific medical advice.
Medpedia shouldn't be used for people to diagnose themselves or figure out treatments.-
Your post puts in perfectly, especially regarding the patient perspective, which is absent or under-emphasized in the health care professional's office visit.Male commented Aug 11, 2010 at 12:04PM
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2Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 12:10PMThis is a great question and one that the Medpedia team really thought about prior to launching this feature. We believe discourse around medical topics is very important, however nothing should be taken as direct medical advice. In an attempt to make it very clear we have included this both in our guidelines for asking and for answering questions. See the guidelines below.
Lastly, since Medpedia is a collaborative community, we have added safeguards to maintain the integrity of the content. If you think a question or answer is inappropriate, click the word "report" by the red flag at the bottom of the item. This helps us and improves the quality of Medpedia! -
0Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 12:11PMTo submit your answer, it must meet the guidelines below.
Answering Guidelines
1. Answers on this Site are to be used for general information purposes only, not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice.
2. When answering questions, present information, not direct medical advice, a definitive diagnosis or a treatment plan.
3. Present an objective answer that takes into account other points of view, if applicable.
4. Include references when appropriate.
By answering a question you agree to the Medpedia terms of use. http://www.medpedia.com/terms -
0Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 12:12PMQuestion Guidelines
1. Anything you write on Medpedia Answers is publicly viewable and searchable.
2. Questions should be a request for information only — not a request for direct medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan.
Examples:
* Is a sore throat a symptom of swine flu?
* What are the benefits and drawbacks of a tonsillectomy? -
2Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 02:07PMJennifer, a Question responder who is ignorant of the facts or unintentionally misleading is one thing but how does Medpedia handle intentional biases due to apparent conflicts of interest (COI) which, in fact, may provide to the responder secondary gain? How does Medpedia prevent an individual to advertise his or her product and at the same time may provide documentation only slanted in one direction..supporting his or her product. Who should screen for COI? It is difficult to put this duty onto the other writers to Medpedia since it would take research to prove that any conflict of interest was becoming detrimental to the openness of Medpedia answers. Shouldn't Medpedia be the one alert for detrimental COI? Many questions.. any anwers? ..Maurice.
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Great question!Kim M Robinson commented Aug 12, 2010 at 02:52PM
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0Votes
answered Aug 12, 2010 at 03:06PMI agree that, depending on the blog, a blog connection feature can be a concern. However -- and I guess I need to defend this feature since Medpedia streams my blog in -- I think 100% objectivity is difficult, if not impossible, in any type of media. Where does one draw the line between a blog that shares a perspective (which is, of course, biased) to an outlandishly promotional venue? And couldn't links to studies be problematic if the study is flawed?
That being said, even in Medpedia's Q&A feature, there are individuals who sport certain agendas or self-promotion. I don't think Medpedia can monitor the accuracy of all blogs and studies. -
2Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 03:19PMThat's a great question, Dr. Bernstein. Medpedia takes conflicts of interest seriously.
To begin, Medpedia staff monitor every contribution made to the Medpedia platform -- all questions, answers, edits, discussions, etc. Those that chose to blatantly promote their own product or service, have their profiles flagged and their content removed immediately. We then reach out to the user with a warning for violating Medpedia's terms of use. http://www.medpedia.com/terms Depending on the situation, that user may be disabled. This has happened.
Medpedia users also help by reporting profiles due to "undisclosed conflicts of interest". You will see that after you click "Report profile" that "undisclosed conflict of interest" the fourth option. That shoots off an email to us, and we will further investigate the situation. Naturally, COIs can be difficult to identify which is why we have created a thorough page, with examples, to provide guidance on the subject: http://www.medpedia.com/disclosure
It is impossible to cover every possible conflict -- so you are also expected to disclose anything not listed here which could also bias your contributions. All Editors of Medpedia are obligated to disclose any financial, personal or professional associations that may influence their writing and/or editing on Medpedia.
The purpose of integrating forums like Medpedia Answers (Q&A) and Medpedia News & Analysis (where the blogs are featured), is to provide personal viewpoints and more subjective content. Contributors are encouraged to give opinions and share experiences in these forums, however they cannot do so on the wiki. Additionally, only approved physicians and PhDs in a biomedical field can make direct edits to the wiki. The blogs and personal viewpoints enhance the scope of the content on Medpedia, but should not be taken as fact or medical advice.
You'll also notice the differences in color between Medpedia News & Analysis and the other sections of the site: http://www.medpedia.com/news_analysis This was done by design to indicate a change in content and source. Additionally, all blogs you find on Medpedia have been reviewed approved by the staff, if not specifically invited to join. We do reject and/or delete blogs that do not maintaining the standards we have set.
The goal of Medpedia is to collect and elevate high quality health and medical information. Total objectivity is not the goal for News & Analysis, but transparency is always required. If anyone is concerned that a user has an undisclosed conflict of interest or a blog that is inappropriate, you are encouraged to report the profile and designate it as such! -
0Votes
answered Sep 09 at 06:28AMMy use of any advice from even physicians here will be taken lightly. No offense. It''s not possible for any personal diagnosis to be given, treatment preceribed etc.. without the patient presenting to the doctor him/herself.
Like anything I read anywhere; I take from it what is useful and dismiss the rest. Yet I will feel even more informed and connected.
As far asanswering as a layperson. I will always preface my post with the fact that I am just a layperson and any information I may provide will be only relating from my own personal experiences. I happen to believe that if we serindipitously have rhe same condition, the same illness, there just may be some benificial and effective tips we may learn from one another.
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The content on or accessible through Medpedia.com is for informational purposes only. Medpedia is not a substitute for professional advice or expert medical services from a qualified health professional.
Read more