Posted by jay on October 30, 2001, at 3:31:51
In reply to How do you decide what to trust?, posted by Dr. Bob on October 30, 2001, at 1:56:11
> > I'm supposed to say something [in Washington next week] about: (1) how aware patients in online support groups are of the various online ethics and quality initiatives, (2) to what extent those initiatives influence their use of online resources, (3) what other methods they use to decide whom to trust, and (4) the ethics of facilitating such groups.
> >
> > Any comments on any of the above? (Remember, these are comments I might present.)
>
> Or, looking at it another way, I'd be curious:
>
> 1. From the perspective of someone looking for information, how do you decide what information to trust? What leads you to trust a web site? Another group member?Well, as with most message boards and websites, it's more like a support group, with people exchanging stories, experience, and thoughts. I honestly don't see much value in making it more then that. There may be a few people who claim to have some superior knowledge, playing the role of an objective clinician, but the information is anything we can easily look up on the web, or in a text book. The bottom line is, we are all 'consumers', and this is just an alternative forum for a support group. I am uncomfortable with the idea of someone deeply mixing and bluring the patient/clinician/helper/helpee role.
> 2. From the perspective of someone providing information, do you just pass it on, or do you try to present it in a certain way?I present it as being *my* experience, and will only post more general ideas from something I've read in a study, or that is in the general news. Of course, I nor anyone should assume we have absolute expertise to extract an absolute meaning for this, or that study.
Once we start posing as "experts", I think it is dangerous for the general even-flow of group support (i.e. one persons view is more valid than anothers)
I hope I am answering what you are looking for.
You do an amazing job with this board Dr. Bob.
Thanks!Jay
> Thanks!
>
> Bob
poster:jay
thread:82639
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011025/msgs/82640.html