You're watching...
New networking site focuses on connecting health professionals to reduce the risk of medical mistakes and improve patient care
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- Hello welcome to -- -- I'm Dr.
-- There's a new social network on the world wide web.
And they may even help to improve patient can't believe it -- -- -- is a new professional social networking site to sign just for doctors.
Joining me today to tell us how physicians are using this tool to stay connected and how it it's improving health care is the founder.
And the CEO Jeff hang me.
And doctor how -- -- and orthopedic surgeon who uses the site daily.
Welcome guys to the program thanks for having let's and I caught this on the news and I was so impressed because in you know the the revolution of health care is huge.
And one of the things that as of practicing physician and and argue could also tell jump -- anytime.
Is that you know we doctors have a very difficult time communicating with each other and sometimes.
You know if you just follow some of the hit the rules I Kenny leaving share information if I wanted to get a consultant without the permission of the patient.
Which you know you -- times sometimes -- some times you know.
As surrogate is busy or I'm busy and we have its small moments when you came along and you put this together -- proximity.
Which is this website coming Holland why and -- is -- working.
Well obviously many as you know personal personally.
Simple communication is one of the biggest challenges health -- it's the number one cause of medical errors right and it takes 10% of an average positions day.
Just to play phone today.
And to pick up the facts on the cover -- -- so it's a big problem wasting a lot of time but we have a physician's shortage.
And yet.
Privacy laws -- right forbid using email that forbid using texting so.
You imagine doing your job without email and that's what's like to be a doctor right so.
At ducks in any we've created a free FaceBook like service but with -- the security.
That allows physicians to share tough cases it opinions of peers and talk about patients.
In the year and a half that we've been available we've had one in seven US physicians come and join.
And do you have how many total numbers -- over 80000 positions a lot of -- yes.
So you know you can post a tough case at 10 AM and have four opinions it's like.
That TV show house MD but it's all -- line.
And you can do that securely.
So when you use -- -- let's say I wanted to use the site it.
And I said oh my god I just saw this lady this morning she had an -- by ten mass in her whenever I never seen it before.
I don't know what's -- an MRI were CT -- simple question -- can -- post that in the website there's a section called fire around within the ducks committee's site.
Where you can post interest in cases and so you will so we don't disclose any personal information Croatian is you still have to follow have a guideline right absolutely.
But you would -- the case and post information and irrelevant with.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- Ask your questions and the the ducks have any members are going to come back and engage.
So they give you feedback they say well yes -- -- that is similar case in in 2007.
And it turned out to be live fibroid tumor blah blah blah.
-- Now that's one -- that I see helping the doctors.
Improve health care give me another example.
He uses -- and Friday I tend to operate.
We do a lot joint replacements now as our population ages I need to reach out to these pick these.
Patient's primary care doctors all the time because they come in with multiple medical problems.
-- -- -- Facilitates my ability to reach out to these doctors on a daily basis.
About any issues which -- theorizing in the post operative period you mentioned that is like the FaceBook like environment so what do I do I create my own profile -- -- know it works.
Served so in order to be hit the secure we need to verify that your -- that takes about a week.
Or another health care provider and and he repeated this agreed engine prop yes yes and T park area important yes that's part of that.
You also upload your your CD -- curriculum vitae your.
A publications.
You're training.
You lectures.
And so -- What I see a tough case that Howard helping me out on I can actually see that -- Howard knows what he's talking about Howard's one of the top joint replacement surgeons.
In the states and he's lectured on the topic at Mayo Clinic.
And so I I have a sense of his -- -- a fetus righteous terrific.
I can also seek out and find someone who's a very -- expert precision referral.
For the patient that's a very difficult case.
We've had over 101000 cases now that have been posted and salt and discussed -- -- -- so.
Those are 101000 patients out there that we think are getting a better a better result as a result of -- -- together.
Absolutely and by the way.
That's a fact.
Take it from me that's in fact you know doctors need to talk to each other.
-- none of us have the unique brain that we can solve every problem in the world.
So -- that's a fact medicine but let's go back to the fundamentals of people get an understanding so I -- my profile you get my CV.
You credential need to make sure that I'm a licensed physician I think all of that.
And then what I -- -- -- A little bit of a friend network writes we call them colleagues called friends.
And how -- so you can pencil and colleagues and I -- I sent a little texted him knowing -- through this thing.
I can you be my friend can you be my colleague and uses yes and then I create my own little social networking so you have that going for yourself and -- a Doctor Who.
And then you have also postings -- you can do any generic fashion to discuss cases -- Come.
What do you see this going I mean.
You know you you have a great vision -- you've been in in this in this field.
Do and other things what do you see this going I mean aside from the obvious facts that you help patients would you see this going towards.
-- -- -- -- I was the founder company called -- -- known public you still by over half of US physicians.
That.
Really used the Smart phone -- we were in the four companies on stage with Steve Jobs and they launch the App Store the Smartphone to be the doctors little clinical.
Library in their pocket doctors call it their peripheral brain.
-- what I see is the future here is.
That that little pocket library isn't just my peripheral brain mind my reference resources it's all my colleagues right there when I need them.
I can video conference them.
I can discuss the patient with them with the leading expert in the field right there without having to.
Have the whole team driving get together a lot it's virtual care NBC knows Verizon commercials you see that.
The man standing all the people behind them right I imagine.
When you're seeing your doctor there at the bedside it's not just your doctor visits all the doctors that they know it all the experts that they know.
Who are helping me out there.
Now the obvious question and even though this is not a financial -- -- and -- Hardly gonna capitalizes company and we -- -- -- -- gonna come from so today we get paid to find experts.
It's a Wall Street hedge fund manager it's a patient with a very difficult case.
And they -- -- doctors an average of 500 dollars an hour and they can search and find.
A very niece expert so I have and K -- got to chromosomal disorder my child does but I really wanna find a national expert.
I can go search -- -- -- -- find that X.
Or so the consumer and -- then is the one that.
Who pays for and you know to to get that access to that database.
From a research perspective correct the -- that you do you we you you use that as a clinical tools of collaborative tool tool and a communications -- and a communication to.
But the general public is gonna get the very.
Very very niche research on the highest physicians.
And people doing things that are almost.
Difficult to find.
Sub sub sub sub specialized climate.
And today to be clear we were mainly with Wall Street firms and -- a second opinion firms through -- medical legal firms.
To find these experts.
We -- in the process of opening up to all consumers.
But today it's it's really just through these these -- finder firms.
So let me -- let me ask you another another question related to it is I think is important.
It -- via word impatient and I say well how look how how -- my -- different in Health Grades let's.
-- Brooks and looks to me why why what would be the difference if you -- to tell them well on the you know the biggest difference is that.
Again we have one in seven US physicians who already joined.
And put in and verified all the information that they have on their profiles.
There are other sites that you put together information from various web sites.
But they don't have the individual physician involved and then let's say I find that position and I realize this is the the expert that I want my child to -- to talk to to be seen by.
It's still all other processed is to try to reach that position where is in our network that doctors -- -- but what does this is great.
What can people get more information.
So docks in the dot com it's.
Virtual proximity for doctors so proximity but with the.
Well thank you very much I think this is a brilliant brilliant.
-- tell you this has been I love it.
I guess I have to join now.
-- -- -- We look forward do it thank you.
I did you have any health question you are told to me about email me -- Todd said doctor may have functions not come factual watching the Fox News.
-- -- --
