Patient2Patient® Newsletter

July 1, 2003
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In This Issue:

* Parkinson's Update
* Subscriber Series - Patient Best Practices Guides
* NEW* Sponsorship Opportunities
* Patient2Patient - Best Patient Practices: "Finding a Doctor" Part 2 -
  Using the Internet
* Quote
* Humor

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Parkinson's Update:

As of June 1st, subscribers to the Parkinson's WebGuide can download an
updated version of the Parkinson's WebGuide. The revised WebGuide
contains a number of terrific new sites as well as updated Web site
content and navigation.

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Subscriber Series - Patient Best Practices Guides

Beginning later this summer, current subscribers will be able to
download the first in our series of Best Patient Practicesä Guides. The
first guide will be "THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR."

Upcoming guides will include: "How to Get an Effective Second Opinion,"
"Surviving and Thriving in the Hospital," and The Ten Most Important
Questions to Ask in the Hospital."

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*NEW* Sponsorship Opportunities

We have had a number of inquiries about sponsorships for the development
of WebGuides for specific conditions.  If you know of an individual,
organization or group that may be interested in sponsoring a WebGuide,
please contact Andrew Robinson, Executive Director at
Sponsorship@patient2patient.net

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Patient2Patient - Best Patient Practices:

"Finding a Doctor" Part 2 - Using the Internet


Finding a medical doctor who specializes in treating your condition is
critical. It is well worth the time and effort to find a doctor with
"The Right Stuff." However, before relying on the Internet, first try
the "old-fashioned" approach - talk to everyone you know!

Ask everyone you are openly discussing your condition with to put you in
touch with other patients in your area with the same condition. They can
share experiences they've had with a doctor -- both good and bad - and
offer additional help and support. Patients appreciate the chance to
pass on what they've learned. So try to make a friend and keep in touch.

At the same time, remember that everyone's experience, condition and
attitudes are different. So take that into consideration too. What turns
one patient off about a particular doctor may work for you.

To help you sort things out, at the end of this section*** we've
compiled a list of useful questions to ask other patients about their
experiences.

AND NOW...ON TO THE INTERNET SEARCH:

There are two primary ways to find a medical specialist for your
condition using the Internet: By searching national organizations or
support groups.

1.	USING A SEARCH ENGINE TO FIND A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION


First bring up a search engine (Ex. Google or Yahoo!). Then type into
its search box the common name or terms for your disease/condition (ex.
"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"). The first two pages of listings that result
should contain all the major organizations relating to your condition.

While the primary focus of some national organization sites is research
or advocacy, others offer a range of practical information and patient
resources.

For instance, within these sites (sometimes buried) you can often find
listings for recommended medical centers that specialize in treating
your condition. Sometimes a site will even offer a referral service for
individual specialists in your area.

Once you get the name and number of the nearest medical center, contact
them for a referral to a medical specialist associated with the center.
The initial contact person may not be able to provide much detail about
the doctors on their set list. However, ask to speak to the Center's
social workers or patient representatives. You may get lucky and get an
"insider" who can give you some good information about which doctors the
patients like best and why. They can also tell you if the center
sponsors a support group for your condition or if they know of a local
support group.


2. USING A SEARCH ENGINE TO FIND A SUPPORT GROUP

Before starting a new search for support groups, check all the national
organizations' sites to see if they sponsor online support groups or
list contact information for local support groups.

You can join one of these groups to network with other patients in your
area or online. It's not only a great way to get information on specific
doctors, but members share all kinds of other useful information.

Another approach is to go back to your primary search engine and conduct
another search. This time enter your condition along with the term
"support groups" (ex. "Colon Cancer Support Groups"). You should find a
number of online support groups this way, although you may have to
contact several before finding the information you're looking for.

Even if you are not interested in joining a support group, you can
always ask the group's contact person for information about doctors in
your area.

Although all of these approaches may require a lot of time and effort,
finding the right doctor is critical. Of course, this is why we produce
our Patient2Patient WebGuides, so that you can be assured of finding
this information quickly and easily. However, if a WebGuide is not yet
available for your condition, the above approaches will help you find a
good doctor.


*** QUESTIONS TO ASK ANOTHER PATIENT ABOUT A DOCTOR ***

Below is a list of questions to ask another patient about their
knowledge of and experience with a doctor who specializes in your
condition. Of course, no one likes to be cross-examined, so use the
questions as a checklist for what you want to find out during the course
of a friendly conversation:

- What is your condition? How long have you had this condition and what
treatments have you tried?

- Who referred you to this doctor? What did you learn about him/her
before you met with them? What is his/her background? Does he/her
specialize in this condition?

- What do you think of this doctor? Do you know other patients who see
this doctor - what do they think of him/her?

- How many times and over what period of time have you seen this doctor?
What treatments have you received from this doctor? Have you been
satisfied with their recommendations and how he/she has handled your
case?

- What is the doctor like? Is he/she open to questions and discussions?
Does he/she take the time to answer your questions and to explain tests
and procedures? Is he/she open to and welcome your participation in
treatment decisions? Does the doctor have a warm and friendly personal
style? Is this doctor familiar with and open to the use of complementary
forms of treatment (ex. acupuncture)?

- How available is the doctor by phone and/or email? Do they or members
of their staff return calls on a timely basis?

- What do you like most about this doctor? What are some of the problems
or concerns that you have run into that I should be aware of?


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Quote

"Better to light one candle than to spend your life complaining about
the darkness."

  From Confucius

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Humor

A horse walks into a bar and orders a drink.

The bartender looks up and asks: "Why the long face?"

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Feel Good!

The Staff of Patient2Patient

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We welcome your comments about this newsletter and our WebGuides -
Feedback@patient2patient.net.

(c) Copyright 2003 Patient2Patient, LLC.  You are welcome to forward
this issue to someone you know, in its entirety (without cutting).