One thing that’s clear in this crisis is that information is everywhere, but making sure that the information is quality information is harder than it looks. This is especially true for doctors who are trying to know the right way to manage patients that arrive at their hospitals and practices.
I’ve heard of many doctors getting the most up to date information on COVID-19 from socail media. While there’s no bigger fan of social media than me, that’s a less than ideal experience. Especially since many doctors weren’t on social media before this all broke loose. However, there’s a need with a fast moving situation like we’re experiencing for doctors to find and share in a crowd sourced fashion the latest medical information. Unfortunately, most medical journals aren’t fast enough (that’s a joke).
We wrote previously about a new coalition forming to share data and coordinate healthcare organization’s response to COVID-19. However, that’s more for IT professionals and administrators. I’ve discovered two other efforts to bring doctors together to share the latest COVID-19 information.
COVID-19 Slack Channel
The first is a COVID-19 Slack channel you can find at covid.slack.com that’s creation was inspired by Om Malik. You can read the story behind the Slack channel, but Om is a former journalist and current investor that suggested a slack channel for doctors that would allow them to share the latest COVID-19 information quickly.
We haven’t been able to get access to the channel yet since it’s only available to doctors. Slack is using ID.me’s authentication to identify medical credentials and give you access to the Slack channel. If you’re a doctor, we’d love for you to take a look and let us know what you think of it in the comments.
COVID-19 App for Healthcare Professionals
Another tool that seems to be taking off is a mobile app, Kari Jerge, MD, FACS created in her spare time (how does a doctor have spare time right now?) in order to share the latest COVID-19 information with other medical professionals. Find the details of the app below or visit COVID19Medapp.com to download the app.
Generously hosted by @AppShed
Website created by @DouglasSloaneFree, open source, web-based smartphone app.
Created by:
Kari F Jerge, MD, FACSPlease send feedback to:
covidforhcpapp@gmail.comPreview of app content attached. pic.twitter.com/1HKYVux6r5
— Kari Jerge, MD, FACS (she/her) (@kari_jerge) March 25, 2020
No doubt this was a side project Dr. Jerge was doing that blew up more than she expected. When she first announced it, she wasn’t sure the AppShed servers would hold up. However, it’s another example of a community sourced offering of the latest COVID-19 information.
What other tools, apps, websites, etc are you seeing people use to share the latest COVID-19 information? Technology and the power of community can and should bridge the information gap even amidst all the noise and at the speed at which new information is being discovered.