The Washington Post has a thorough and informative article on HealthCentral Network, an online start-up based in Arlington that gives curious readers information on health issues and forums where they can discuss ailments with others.
The site also has a system where visitors can find doctors or patients blogging about their illnesses. The owners of HealthCentral hope that providing a platform for this kind of independent research, communication and socialization will prove to be a good business proposition. They believe it will set them apart from other online health sites. Their hope is that, as more and more readers with health questions use their sites, drug companies will flock to advertise on HealthCentral’s pages.
The Washington Post article is worth reading for its descriptions of and quotations from HealthCentral’s visitors, which give insight into why people find this type of website useful.