Health 2.0

With the idea of social networks spreading through corporate business the medical industry was next to introduce a vast amount of infomtion to patients that was previously impossible. The article talks about how patients with similiar diseases are going  social networking platforms and sharing their medial records in order to have more extensive information about their diseases. For instance, a person can see what level of prescription they should have after referencing the rest of their network. Furthermore, the patients themselves can be proactive instead of reactive to their doctor's advice. Another example of the benefits is show where the network can start to conduct trial.  One trial is discussed in the artcile about Macedo in Brazil conducting ALS treatment trials. Sites such as "PatientsLikeMe" provide a platform where medical records are not hidden, but shared amongst patients. With better knowledge and more transparency the benefits can be endless in the fight against these diseases.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_50/b4112058194219.htm?campaign_id=rss_tech