For my practicum project I decided to
take a look at a website changing the face of online health care and support
groups. One such website is iMedix.com,
a community-powered health website which aims to connect users suffering from
similar ailments so that they may benefit from each other’s knowledge of their
condition, and simultaneously allow users to access articles and relevant
information about diseases and disabilities. Due to its unorthodox mechanics, this
revolutionary website has been in the forefront of the medical community. Often
described as WebMD meets Facebook, the
iMedix service is a unique
combination of a health search engine and a collaborative community platform
with the mission to make health information organized, meaningful and available
for every individual. iMedix.com has transformed traditional medicine by
eliminating geographic and time boundaries, increasing accessibility of medical
information and education to individuals however iMedix’s defining
characteristic is its unique combination
of a healthcare search engine and social network that provides health consumers
a way to find medical information that has been filtered for reliability and
rated by patients. Just some things to think about:
Do you think
websites like iMedix are beneficial for society?
What are some potential
ramifications of a site like iMedix?
In Doctors offices there is relatively strict
patient/ physician confidentiality-- Do you think iMedix poses a threat to this privacy?
I see the benefit in iMedix as a site to exchange home remedies as well as for those who are not in favor of receiving medical advice from doctors. There is the potential to receive false information from someone and become seriously ill or injured, so I feel that this site would be better used for minor ailments. If there is an option to remain anonymous with iMedix, I see a very little threat to one's privacy.
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