San Mateo, CA – At the end of almost every drug commercial, you will hear the phrase, “consult your doctor.” If so many patients are calling their doctor, how are the doctors finding time to learn and research new medicines and techniques? I’m pretty positive that your doctor has to be getting advice from somewhere, but is there a doctor break room where they congregate to share ideas? Turns out, there is…and it’s online.
With new technologies and communication tools at their fingertips, doctors are increasingly looking online for their learning materials. Whether it’s a social network designed to bring ideas together or a MOOC (massive open online course), medical professionals can view and share lecture videos, interactive course work, ideas and past experiences, all on-the-go from their handheld devices.
Check out two social networks that are making traction lately, specifically designed for the healthcare collective:
Doximity, a social network for medical professionals with secure, HIPAA-compatible messaging features, just announced a $54 million fundraising round ($81 million to date). Backed by time-strapped physicians who want to find a more efficient way to communicate and learn, the social site now boasts that 1 in 3 doctors are now on its network. Doximity’s quick and easy communication methods are replacing the time sucking faxes and cluttering paper stacks of yesterday. If time equals money, in the medical world, time also equals quality care.
The new and already catching on SharePractice.com aims to crowdsource quality information and research to quickly and efficiently deliver content to its user base of over 5,000 healthcare providers. A self-proclaimed “Yelp” for medicine, SharePractice ranks information on medical treatments just like you would rank a restaurant or a hotel stay. The website and accompanying app filters good content to the top, creating a quick a reliable interface for doctors to gather valuable information.
“SharePractice allows me to learn about treatments that have worked well for other doctors. In the ER, I don’t have time to review the literature, Share Practice is quick and easy to use.” – Mark Berenson, MD
Posted By: Mike Martins
