Ask the doctor


Getting Health Answers On-line

Yahoo Answers is a place where anyone canThat's because I'm being realistic and
post a question to be answered by anyoneprobably recommend they spend money on a
else. Yet, despite the fact that totalproper program. The asker would rather hear
strangers with absolutely no expertise arethat they can get good results without using
answering business, legal, and healtha marketing firm which would cost them. So
problems, the number of questions continuesthey get answers that are faulty and
to grow. Perhaps because this is a free site,obviously given by people totally ignorant of
this is the case, but it's rather troublingcommon  advertising  practices.
at best. You can see business people asking
how to market their products and the answersThey same is true for health questions and
they receive could be from a ten year old. Asthis is a far more serious area. My wife is
a further example, there are those who needan RN with her Masters degree and sees the
solutions to real estate contracts andvarious medical questions and answers on YA.
divorce information. Again, they get answersThis can have devastating effects. No one
that may or may not be accurate becauseshould be asking health advice from complete
anyone has a chance to provide themstrangers. I understand the desire to save
information or miss-information. One hopesmoney and those not wanting to contact a
that these people don't take the Yahoodoctor. People fear doctors for a variety of
Answers  as  the  final  word.reasons but, if they have a condition that
requires treatment, there are few options. If
For example, I'm an advertising and marketingthey must go online seeking information or a
"expert" with 35 years experience. I have aresponse to a health question, why not ask a
degree in advertising, a Masters in teaching,professional that is trained in the field?
owned my own advertising agency, and was aSure, there may be a cost involved, but look
consultant for 25 years. Therefore, Iat the alternative. On YA you get general,
consider myself fairly knowledgeable in mostunqualified answers that are mostly worthless
areas of PR, marketing, and promotion. Ianyway. But asking a doctor or nurse online,
sometimes wander over to YA to see who'syou have a much better chance at solid advice
asking what. The responses are often times inthat might actually help your ailment or
accurate and misleading. I try to offer helpcondition.
but am rarely chosen as the best answer.



1 A B C D E F 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136