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Docs bitten by the blog bug
VIVIDHA KAULTIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2004 12:24:13 AM ]

NEW DELHI: From talking about dogs who can sniff out bladder cancer to solved AIIMS question papers, from cheap accommodation near Safdarjung Hospital to three exclusive 'from the bedside' opinions on the cause of Yasser Arafat's death — the medical community is warming up to the idea of sharing it all over blogs on the Net.For the uninitiated, blogs are short for web logs which are Internet journals or diaries. They differ from regular websites in being much more interactive, with the writers behind them updating the blogs frequently and inviting instant feedback. The idea seems to have gained ground amongst the members of the medical community in the past few months. Says Dr Sumer Kumar Sethi, a senior resident at the Lady Hardinge Medical College, who runs a blog on radiology, "I have had 2,000 visitors on my blog in the past three months. Starting with a lone visitor or two in September, I get as many as 30-40 visitors daily now." Sethi adds that one of the reasons behind the concept acquiring popularity is the fact that it is very difficult to get any work published in the medical community. "Authorities review your findings then check the evidence, and the process may take more than a year at times. Blogs are the easy way out," he says. For medical students like Manisha, "They are like small newspapers wherein you can share everything from what you felt when an infant passed away on Diwali morning to stuff on how to get that offending mole on your cheek removed." Interns aspiring for a post-graduate seat in their chosen specialisation also find blogs a good platform to share notes. "If someone from outside Delhi wants to take up MD here, all he has to do is to post a query on a blog and soon enough, doctors from here post their suggestions on where to stay, which specialisation is good at which hospital and what questions to expect," says Dr Ankit Verma, who works at a private hospital. Net-savvy patients, meanwhile, are the latest to join the blog bandwagon. "There are so many survival stories on the blogs about cancer patients, people who are living with AIDS and it's really inspiring," says Vidhi Chauhan (name changed), a teacher. "I suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome, due to which I have a constant weight-gain problem. Awareness about the disease is low and there is no permanent cure. Getting onto blogs, learning from people's experiences on use of acupuncture and supplements really helped me out," she adds.
FROM TIMES OF INDIA, DELHI TIMES, 8/12/04