Helpful Information about Health 2.0
The popularity of user-created content has increased on social networking sites, and this effect has spilled over to the health sector. Millions of people are now going online to give their contribution to a wide range of health care topics ranging from extraction of wisdom teeth to the avian-flu pandemic or using acupuncture to deal with infertility. This is what is called Health 2.0 user-generated health care.
To some degree, that is not new as there were already online support groups which have existed since the early 1990s. On the other hand, the content has developed, and we finally have websites videos and numerous subscribers. According to one research firm, more than 20{037aef49a4ca1366ab9aded5675f252e7f852a6556e9ca9d2bf74969867d7f92} of Americans have contributed some information on health-related content. The hype that surrounded web 2.0 has raised the consciousness of new possibilities thus there continues to be an increase in new content and new users.
The increase in user-created content is in part due to the wider internet tendencies and also that individuals have significantly more access to the tools they use to write the content. Tools like the digital camera and webcams have made it possible for individuals to take pictures and upload them. However, you will find other factors which have led to the increase. Individuals with multiple chronic diseases like depression, diabetes are interested in getting some good tips from other people who have similar conditions. Nowadays, any field of medical knowledge is too wide for any single doctor to know all of it. Some patients who may not get all of the advice from their physician would rather go online, join a forum with other individuals with similar states for more information.
There are lots of discussions on health- related issues online and it is unusual as health is a sensitive issue that people don’t just discuss with anyone. People are not aware of how permanent information is online; as they say, the internet never forgets. There’s the risk of malicious folks abusing one’s personal data. Some sites try to mitigate this risk by requiring the use of pseudonyms. Another problem with this user-created content is misinformation. A lot of health details can confuse some folks. User-generated content is advantageous, and it has helped people a lot, but one needs to use the advice along with consulting with their physician.
Most of the user-generated content is accurate because if one individual shares information that is erroneous, other people may correct it. Some people have utilized user-created content as their best source of hope. If a person is diagnosed with a rare type of cancer; they could get support from others on the other side of the world who can provide accurate information regarding the treatment and give recommendations on doctors.