National
Public Radio’s, Menaka Wilhelm, discusses the role of social media in
discovering the
many uncommon and unreported side effects of different medications.
Some of the ways in
which this new trend of discussing side effects online is helping
medical professionals expand
their knowledge regarding drugs includes hashtags,
follow trains, and online support groups and
forums. The website Inspire includes focus groups that are “filled
with patients experiences with
diseases and treatment.” This platform allows
for “less filtering than Facebook or Twitter”, and is
specifically geared towards
creating an online sharing space where patients can relate to one
another on a
personal level. Social media has aided both doctors and researchers in
recognizing
the many side effects that go unnoticed when taking medications,
and could possibly influence
the quality of treatment which patients receive in
the future. [152 words, 2 quotes, 1 image, 1 link]
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