Doctors often get asked health questions by their friends and family. Unfortunately, their replies are confined within private Whatsapp texts or email threads. Wouldn’t it be great if doctors could share this knowledge to help others too?
That's exactly why Human exists today. However, for the platform to continue to be helpful to more people, we need to make sure that doctors feel comfortable providing answers to questions.
Here's how you can help.
Is Human's Q&A the same as telemedicine?
No. Human's policy is that any doctor's answer to a question is for general informational purposes only, and does not create a doctor-patient relationship.
Every reply is accompanied by the following disclaimer:
This answer is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Human doctor users who provide responses to questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Human's Terms of Service.
Why do doctors contribute to the Q&A?
Doctors who contribute do so purely to help readers better understand their condition, which improves health outcomes.
They never take part to self-promote or solicit patients. Doing so violates medical board rules regarding advertising.
Why do doctors need special disclaimers on their answers?
Doctors have license-related limitations on what they can say online. This includes the obligation not to inadvertently create a doctor-patient relationship through contact on the internet.
The intent of our policies and disclaimer is to make it absolutely clear to Human users that doctors who provide responses on Human:
1. are doing so only for informational purposes,
2. are not a particular user’s doctor, and
3. should not be considered substitutes for actual consultations with doctors.
How can you ask a question that doctors feel comfortable to answer?
It’s okay for your question to describe a general health situation, illness, or symptoms.
However, medical questions that contain patient-specific facts are not allowed, and may be deleted or reworded to describe a general situation.
Any answer to a question only provides general guidance and information, but do not provide diagnostic answers or specific treatment recommendations.
They are not a substitute for a real-life consultation with your doctor.
We will continue engaging relevant health regulatory bodies and professional organisations in the discussion on how best doctors can use Human (and other websites on the internet) to share their specialized knowledge, while complying with the rules that govern their professions.
If you are interested in working with us or finding out more, whether you are a health professional, patient, or reader, drop us a message via our Contact Page and we will get in touch.