iMedix - A new way to find and share health information

There’s been a great deal of discussion about health 2.0 – specifically about the extent to which the Web will, or should, influence the way people manage their health. But how are consumers using online health tools to make health-related decisions today?

Suppose that a parent of a 2-year-old child, has recently received a diagnosis that her boy may have Autism. After consulting with several doctors, many questions still remain and she turns to iMedix to learn more about her son’s condition. iMedix is a community powered search engine that enables you to easily find health information from top sources across the Web and learn from the experience of other patients. The site was started in December 2007 by co-founders Amir Leitersdorf and Iri Amirav after both men experienced health-related issues that led them to the realization that healthcare could and should be a collaborative process.

Currently iMedix features more than 40,000 active site users. The site connects patients to one another through member rankings, questions and answers and groups formed around specific health topics. The idea is that the information and support gained by discussing your health experience with others can actually help you make better health decisions.

So how do you find health information on iMedix? How do you benefit from the experience of thousands of patients around the world?

Step 1: Get a comprehensive overview about Autism

Type in your search query

You can start by typing ‘Autism’ into the search box at the top of the page. Note that as you type, iMedix auto-completes your search query with related medical terms. This helps you phrase your query, and might even give you ideas on what to search for. If you make a typo - no worries, iMedix provides spelling suggestions even before you click ‘Search’.

Browse through the most relevant health articles

Clicking Search will take you to the results page where you’ll find a list of the most relevant health articles about Autism. The articles were filtered and ranked by thousands of members of the iMedix community who have already searched for Autism.

The first results are from About.com, Mayoclinic.com and provide a comprehensive overview on Autism, its symptoms, causes and treatment.

Refine your search query

iMedix helps you refine your query by suggesting related terms that were searched by other members.

Verify the reliability of the site

iMedix provides an indication on the reliability of this site by specifying which healthcare organizations accredited its content, e.g. HON, HRAC

Step 2: Enter the Autism community

Meet the community members

The Autism community lists iMedix members that are interested in or are personally related to Autism. You can also search for members according to their health interests, gender, age range and geographic location. You can browse through each member’s profile and learn more about their background, health interests and experiences.

Live chat

Members that are currently online are ready to talk to you immediately! You can initiate a live chat and start sharing information with one another. If you found this member helpful and interesting, you can add him to your friends list with a single click.

Personal inbox

iMedix provides you with a free inbox that lets you keep in touch with other members and exchange information with one another in a secure and private environment.

Step 3: Post a question to the community

Post a question

Posting a question is a quick and easy way to find answers about any health topic. Just type your question and click the ‘Ask’ button. iMedix immediately distributes your question to relevant members who will try to answer based on their knowledge and personal experience.

Receive answers

iMedix will notify you as soon as you receive answers to your question. You will usually receive more than one answer and will be able to vote for your favorite one.

Sign up for free

Anyone can join iMedix for free. You can enter in as much or as little information about yourself as you feel comfortable providing, including health interests, as well as a photo of yourself or an avatar. Once you’re signed up, you can really start to see the role community plays in your health management. Being able to conduct ongoing conversations with others interested in the same conditions can help you get a better understanding of your symptoms, find answers to questions about specific drugs and side effects, learn coping mechanisms or simply gain moral support.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 24th, 2008 at 10:00 am and is filed under Guest Authors, Verticals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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