Cyberchondria and Health 2.0 News November 29, 2008

I should study psychiatry for my next exam, but I must share a few articles with you first:

• Monitoring your vices online (TheStart.com): Featuring Dr. Gunther Eysenbach, the organizer of Medicine 2.0 Congress.
  

• Health 2.0 Through the Eyes of a Diabetic – One Year Later (Read/Write/Web):

One year ago, I discovered that I had contracted Type 1 Diabetes. I was 36 at that point and it’s relatively rare for someone of my age to suddenly get Type 1 Diabetes – indeed they used to call this form of diabetes “juvenile diabetes”, because it mostly occurs in children. So it was quite a shock to discover that I had it! Immediately I looked to the Web to find out all I could about this condition. I discovered a thriving community of ‘health 2.0′ apps and social networks, which I then wrote about in this blog.

• Trends in Health 2.0: Mark Bard – Manhattan Research (HealthDot)

• Internet diagnoses: Trust them or toss them? (Wickedlocal)

But in the world beyond the television screen, many physicians have come to recognize the value of their patients’ use of the Internet.

And, if you are like most people, you turn to the Internet for health. Eighty-four percent of adult Internet users in the U.S. go online for medical information, according to a 2007 Harris poll. Some of them, like Diana C., believe the Internet saved their life.

• Microsoft Examines Causes of ‘Cyberchondria’ (NYTimes.com)