How The Internet Is Changing Health Sciences
The Internet was created with the idea that scientists and researchers could easily share information and the latest developments quickly and easily. Before the commercial Internet started to find its feet this was still one of the main purposes of the Internet, however, the rise of the online business saw a dramatic shift in how the Internet was used.
In recent years we have seen some glimpses into how the Internet is now being used for a more positive purpose. Medical researchers have been tracking viral outbreaks with social media tools, Google often publishes search trends relating to health and self-help groups are providing people with advice and information which they previously could only get from their doctors.
However, it is now all good. Many people have started to exploit vulnerable people online by selling fake medicine, making bogus health claims and offering expensive products and services which do nothing to help an individual get better. Here is a roundup of some of the major sites providing health information online.
Google.org Flu Trends
Google has a permanent page on its .org domain to help track global flu outbreaks. Google has determined that certain keyword search phrases are good indicators that a person has symptoms of flu and because of this they can easily track where new outbreaks may be occurring. In the event of a global outbreak this can help medical professionals and governments to put emergency measures in place before an outbreak gets out of control.
CDC.gov – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a great example of how a government makes use of the Internet, in this case a website, to provide up to date information to its citizens on health matters. With well over a million daily page views the site is certainly utilized by many people. CDC provide site usage data , although it is not in real-time. Some of the most highly sought pages are on MRSA, HIV, obesity, malaria and influenza. Most of their traffic comes from Google, so it could be argued that Google is the main partner here, people search Google for vital information and the CDC provide it.
Open Access Medical Research
Open Access health and medical publications are as close to the original idea of sharing new research as you can get. With Open Access researches can much more easily get their research papers published and read. Prior to the Internet all research was published in peer-reviewed medical journals and these are very expensive to buy.
Generally it was only Universities that could afford access to the latest medical research. With Open Access researchers have a greater opportunity to be published and the research is available globally. This means that researchers working in the same field cane easily collaborate and discuss latest developments and it reduces the risk of duplication of research.
It used to be a case that researchers in different countries would be working on the same ideas at the same time and only realise that they have duplicated research and conclusions years after the work has been completed when.
When new discoveries are made the results are rarely given the same name so it can take a long time to discover that your results are not an isolated case. Medical reporting online is speeding up the rate a which researchers discover and collaborate, which in itself increases the speed at which important new discoveries can be made.
If you wish to delve into the world of open access research then start at the Directory of Open Access Journals.
Self Help Forums and Charities
One important aspect of health care is self-help. However, this is also an area where a lot of exploitation occurs. Some major health charities now provide their own carefully moderated communities where you can go for great advice from medical professionals. One of the best sites in my opinion is the Diabetes UK site.
Diabetes UK is a registered charity which was set up specifically to improve the quality and reach of information on diabetes. With guides to the condition, the latest medical research, professional opinion and a thriving community they are really a fantastic role model for any charity which wishes to utilise the power of the Internet to help people.
The community pages are actually run from Diabetessupport.co.uk and they also use Facebook and Twitter. Twitter is used to highlight many charity and fundraising events and Facebook is really for people with diabetes to meet and talk about their issues.
Health On The Net Foundation
Because of the commercial nature of a lot of the advice found online health has managed to get a bad reputation. However, there is a lot of very good information online now. The Internet is really being used to provide good advice and support. One organisation was set up in Switzerland specifically to help to monitor and regulate health information.
The Health On The Net Foundation has its own code, the HONCode, which websites must abide by if they wish to receive the prestigious badge that they offer. To get HONCode approval a website must demonstrate that it has authoritative authors, that it compliments professional medical support, that it maintains user privacy, that information is correctly attributed to the source, that it is transparent and also makes a financial disclosure and has a clear advertising policy.
The Future?
The Internet is changing so fast that it is impossible to predict how health information and advice will be improved online in years to come. We could not have predicted the power of social media and search metrics in spreading warnings and helpful advice. The next wave of developments could improve medical diagnosis and improve the quality of treatment. How, we do not really know. What we can be sure of is that there is still a lot of good to come from the Internet.
Jon Wade is a Health Scientist and writer. His specialists areas are in reporting medical news and managing a weight loss community. He is also proud to announce that his weight loss community site has received a Certificate of compliance with the Code of Conduct HONcode
Yes technology has really risen and has become more powerful. Without it, we can never be where we are right now. I mean the success in health development researches. Still we need to expect more from the unexpected. We can never attain too much at a time
It’s true. But i think we still need to attend regular medical checkup in the hospital to know if there’s something wrong with our body or not.
It is true that technologies is risen very fast but we must know that everything has a side effect of every technology we are using. Thats why we must go to the doctor regularly to prevent sudden loss.
Why do we must go to the doctor? Is that a psychiatric problem?
I agree with tristan, that technology has really risen and has become more powerful. thanks for sharing this one is really useful.
eventhough our technology is risen.. we must always know that attending check up is the best way to know if you have serious problems in your health..
I agree with this article that you have shared, because of the internet, everything can be found. for example new ways to create medicine.
How fascinating how internet evolved and how many business grew because of this.
Basically, the internet is providing us with medical assistance. For example, if I experience an unusual reaction in my body, I research online to determine the possible medical condition behind the symptom. Not only that, I can also determine the right course of action to do if ever I have panic attacks just by researching online.
Technology has really evolved to its fullest. Even the internet world has help already a lot of people since with just a click away all information is provided to you and keep you guided.