COMPANY: SHARING DATA = BETTER CONTROL OF CHRONIC DISEASE
Posted on September 12, 2010 by Jeffrey Newman
A unique company in Cambridge Ma. has created a comprehensive social networking web site community for individuals with specific illnesses and their family members. The company Patientslikeme.com offers information about the latest treatments and the creation of a database of voluntary contributors on the benefits of certain treatments as well as the detriments. It is a form of crowd sourcing which has already demonstrated great potential to help thousands. presently, there are over 45,000 participants and it is growing. The founder Jamie Heywood, started the company after his brother Stephen contracted ALS. The company organizes data collection and translation into unique and helpful information. In August the company obtained 8 million in investment moneys towards a planned $30 million in equity financing according to an SEC filing. There are some other web sites geared to people dealing with serious illness in need of special care or help. They include:
CaringBridge helps the “seriously ill” set-up an easy free website/blog to share their experiences, sort of like having a health-focused WordPress account that guarantees the site is “personal, private and available 24/7” to friends and family.http://www.caringbridge.org
Lotsa Helping Hands helps bring together individuals and groups to support patients with their daily needs, various activities and includes a group calendar with tools to manage volunteers. http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com
Upopolis caters to young patients especially those stuck in a hospital to stay wired with school friends and family in a format similar to Facebook except it is packed with “kid-friendly” tools to cope with “stress, isolation and loneliness while in medical care.”https://www.upopolis.com/webconcepteur/web/upopolis