20/09/2010
1 in 4 UK doctors use Doctors.net.uk's online professional network each day
Doctors are using online networks to ensure patients receive the best advice and treatment
Doctors.net.uk, the UK’s largest network of medical professionals, is witnessing record levels of engagement with doctors and, on several occasions so far during September, it has welcomed over 40,000 unique users during the course of a day. The network has a membership comprising 90 per cent of all UK practising doctors and the latest figures suggest that each day just under a quarter of all doctors use the network.
The network is a trusted source of independent professional information and provides a unique ability for doctors to collaborate online to solve day-to-day clinical problems[1]. With 50,000 forum posts per month, GPs and specialists are increasingly using Doctors.net.uk to discuss rare conditions and consult with experts in particular clinical areas.
Each day there are many examples of where, thanks to the pooling of specialist advice and a willingness among UK doctors to collaborate and support each other, patients with rare conditions and apparently inexplicable symptoms have been treated faster and more effectively. Scores of questions about investigations, medications, how to conduct unusual surgical procedures and complex ethical issues have all been answered.
Dr Tim Ringrose, medical director of Doctors.net.uk, said: “It's a challenge for doctors to keep up to date with the rapid pace of change in knowledge across the 52 specialties of medical practice. I was taught at medical school that good doctors know when to ask for advice and know where to go to get it. Online professional networks are connecting tens of thousands of clinicians to solve these clinical conundrums.”
“What we’re experiencing is proof that online professional networks have changed the way that doctors work. They love the immediacy of digital channels and patients are benefiting from better care, for example where a little-known condition can more easily be diagnosed and treated. Patients who see these “connected” doctors should feel reassured that their doctor is ensuring they receive the best available advice and treatment.”
[1] Doctors are not permitted to post personal data about individual patients within the Doctors.net.uk network.