Going to the doctor used to be something of a chore. The ill would make an appointment, take time out of their days and sit in a waiting room for a doctor to visit with them about their questions, but the Internet has changed the world of health care without violating patient privacy as required by HIPAA.

Many health care sites on the Internet give an overview of medical treatments, diagnosis and overall information. Most people use Yahoo! Answers as a way to post questions about medical needs and hope a doctor or someone who knows a lot of information about the topic can give them an answer.

Recently, You, Me and Medicine made its debut into the realm of social media with a blog post about diabetes. The post gave important information about the disease and tips for how to overcome the debilitating side effects some people experience.

You, Me and Medicine is not only a blog for information, but also interactive in its quest for personal stories that come from the public. The site is dedicated to helping people build a highway for healing and giving them educational information with positive insights regarding research in clinical trials and overall health and wellness.

The blog is a social gathering dedicated to viewer and patient stories. It provides people with comprehensive health care information from physicians and real stories about what people are going through.

Just one month later, You, Me and Medicine published its first blog post from one of the viewers of the site who also happens to be a physician himself. Dr. A, a managing partner of the Allergy & Asthma Centers from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, blogged lessons he learned from his first episode of anaphylaxis. 

The episode was brought on by an asthma attack that almost took his life after his many errors in judgment and denial almost led him to pass out in public. His story left a personal message at the end.

“I am writing this on Wednesday evening,” his post said. “I am very grateful for the way things turned out today. I have much to be thankful for! As I pointed out, there were clearly a number of points where my judgment and actions could have been better. I see parallels here we can all learn from.” 

Stories like this one are shared on the blog platform, and viewers can relate to the choices and issues that others have experienced and learn from them.

You, Me and Medicine is not only a place for sharing personal stories, but also a place where doctors can give important information regarding anything about health care and clear up any misconceptions regarding medicine. 

It has become a place where people can share their stories. Even doctors who have experienced life-threatening instances like Dr. A receive feedback on their questions and become more informed about their illnesses or the illnesses of dear friends or loved ones.

The advantage of the blog from a doctor’s perspective is that doctors don’t have to be careful with what they write or worry about patient confidentiality. It’s already provided by people who want to share their story and overall wellness, making the site a social interaction and a place to find information without having to take the time to see a doctor for general information. 

Social media has given patients the power to find doctors who specialize in diseases or have even experienced the same thing they are going through. With this platform, patients have been given the chance to get the most up-to-date information for their health care questions, and have changed the way they go to the doctor.

For more information, please call Trudy Madan at 210-447-2345, or visit www.youmeandmedicine.com.