MED HELP NEEDS YOUR HELP

[CGTMHI]

Hi everyone,

We've received a few e-mails telling us that it is difficult to get questions posted in this forum.  We are also aware that some of our visitors have posted multiple questions, while others cannot even get one question posted.  Therefore, we ask that if you have asked a question and received an answer, please wait at least two months before asking another question.  This will give others a chance to get their questions posted and answered.

We appreciate your help with this.  We are working hard to make the forum better, so please send us your ideas!!


Cindy Thompson
Med Help International

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

Thanks Cindy.

[Momto3]

This forum is a great place to learn, vent, refresh and make new acquaintances.  Thanks for the tremendous service!  I was in the midst of some complex medical issue last February, and was very fortunate to have my question answered. Dr. "RCJ" has been a great help to me. His medical expertise and great sense of humor are truly assets to your forum.  Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to thank him.  But, I would also like the site administrators to know how grateful I am for this tremendous service. Thanks for inviting us in :)

Connie

[kate38]

Med Help,

I apologize for posting my questions so close together and hope I have not offended anyone in this forum. :(

Also,just to let you know you have some wonderful doctors on this site.I would like to thank both RCJ and BKJ, They have both been wonderful about answering all my question.I really appreciate all there help.  

I understand that there are some people who have trouble posting. I have a suggestion. People who post could have their user ID copied to a sub database called posted and this would thru some modification to the programming allow posting by these people to be restricted for X number of days. After the allotted days these people would be taken out of this sub database and allowed again to post. Another issue may be reflected in the multitude of time zones that posters are in. If the initail signup screen would identify time zone as an entry for each person it would allow the database owner to ascertain the relative percentage of partricipants by regions. Rotating the ability to post to various time zones based on the percentages of people in each zone. Also you could set up a sub database to track those people unable to post and determine if the time set for posting or amount of time allowed to post may need to be modified.

Have a nice evening!!!!

[jan]

It used to be that if there was one or no posts for a day, it was because someone clicked "Post", got there, and chg'd their mind or had a computer error.  I believe that is still the problem.  I read someone's statement awhile ago that they found they could've posted, but didn't really have a question, so they didn't post.  So, if you don't have a question don't click on "Post" "just to see".  Okee dokee?  :o)

[sheryl1945]

Hankstar has been a tremendous asset to these fora and I don't want to see him leave!!  I look for his posts every day.  He is knowledgeable, helpful and compassionate.  I have never had trouble posting.  PLEASE, Hank, keep posting here!!!  And may God bless you!

[Guenter]

I do think it is important to not obssess.  To disappear from the forum is not the right thing to do but I guess I can understand why that would be a inital reaction.  There are many people who have questions.  Hankstar, it appears to me (and I have only been reading these questions and postings for a few weeks now) that you do ask a lot of questions that most of us can't relate to.  You also appear to have developed an expertise beyond us regular people so it is hard to sometimes get anything out of what you ask.  PVCs seem to be a trend and yes there are a lot chemical, electrical, hormonal influences that affect them.  So I guess what I am saying is that why don't you continue as an active participant in this forum and be sensitve to those of us who are so knowledgable and also need questions answered.

[DottyCece]

I think it would be very helpful to have the rules spelled out where you logon or someplace that it would be displayed in such a fashion that everyone understands the rules.  I happened to find this site when I desparately needed answers and was considering going to CLeveland Clinics for diagnosis and treatment.  I did not know that there was a limit or what the limit was for questions.  I made the assumption that if I could post a question I would because I had so many questions and issues.  I also didn't know that one could ask as many questions as they wanted in one posting.  I was limiting it to a specific topic area.  Now I see people ask 7- 10 questions sometimes.  But, for the record, this site was very helpful for me.  I got a second opinion, had further diagnostic testing, most recently a cardiac cath.  They found that the prosthetic mitral valve that was implanted last May is not seated correctly so that is my I had pulmonary hypertension, severe TV regurgitation and all the signs of heart failure including turning blue with much activity of any sort.  I am now preparing for a re-do open heart surgery where that valve will be re-done, the tricuspid valve repaired and an intraoperative ablation done for atrial flutter. So, sometimes all we need is to get on the right track.  I am so relieved that the root problem has been diagnosed.  Now we can treat it, though it is all very scary and high risk.

[starion]

I agree that it's hard to post on this forum, much more so than the Medhelp.org's Respiratory Forum that I have posted on several times & received helpful replies from the LungLine nurses at National Jewish.  In fact, I've NEVER been able to post because the time zone for Hawaii makes 9am on the East Coast about 3 am in here.  I've been able to get my questions answered by other sources and have learned by reading the messages posted here by patients and the Cleveland Center's cardiologists.
It would be nice if this forum kept its window open until the one or two question quota was filled & it would also be nice if there was a rotating time window so folks who are NOT on East Coast time would have an opporutnity to post as well.
It is wonderful that the cardiologists are willing and able to answer multiple answers.  
I don't really fully understand the anger and hostility I read on this forum from folks being able to post and get the answers they need for their care.  I understand there is a lot of frustration because of problems being able to post a question to the doctors, but feel it is extremely harmful & counterproductive if patients attack other patients.  This limitation on posting is not uncommon, as the respiratory forum only takes one or two questions a day as well, but I have NEVER read patients there attack other patients about frequency or length of posts.
It does not seem unreasonable to me to ask patients to wait for one or two months between posting questions for the cardiologists.  In any case, it would not help folks like me who are unable or unwilling to wait until 3am my time to try to post a question, as is my understanding of the current situation.  It would also not help if the window is only for 10 minutes/day and closes if there are no posts during that time interval.
I find it VERY helpful for folks to offer their advice and expertise as comments.  We all have very different experiences and insights to offer.  I DO appreciate Hankstar's comments, as well as other posters & hope all continue to contribute.  I don't know much about hearts, but contribute when there is something I understand.
Aloha,
Starion

[CGTMHI]

Thank you ALL for your wonderful comments and suggestions!  As always "Comments" are welcome at all times.  It's just the "new questions" we're asking people to limit.

As one of you mentioned above, if someone clicks on the "Post a Question" button and then changes their mind, the question has been used up.  Unfortunately, that is just the way our software is set-up and our technical staff is working hard to see if we can come up with a solution to this problem.

Someone suggested that when a person gets his or her question posted & answered, we could block them from posting again for "X" number of days.  Excellent idea, but this would also block them from posting "Comments" and we don't want to do that.

Again, we thank you so much for your continued support of Med Help International and the wonderful Cleveland Clinic Heart Center Cardiologists who are answering your questions.

Your suggestions are always welcome and we hope you'll continue to send them.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cindy Thompson
Med Help International

[raildown]

1. I expect the Real issue is with the initial post that are meant to get an answer from the Doctor;

this is  The issue because the (CCF) Doctor is the most sought after resource and the most limited;

It is somewhat unfortunate when a person continues to repeatedly 'iniate' posts/threads when it _appears_ that they are not testing positive for heart problems by any common defiition but clearly and admittedly evidencing an anxiety syndrome;

3. the interchange between the non-doctor posters can add furthur value but it is derivitive;

the value-added comes from: (a) 'support' type messages that let the initial poster know they are 'not alone' and this is Very important especially to those just exposed to a heart problem; (b) 'personal experience' related to treatments; while this is 'anecdotal', it has some value because the realty is that treament guidelines are derived from statistical studies of large populations but Individual patients respond is a wide(r) variety of ways _and_ some doctors are quite closed minded to 'new' approaches; 'personal experience' can help other patients learn to frame issues and ask question in a more informed way which can lead to better outcomes;

(4) I've spent a lifetime in software and software can be massaged to do whatever you wish unless of course it is a (no source code) 'package' from a vendor who is 'unresponsive'...sigh...;

certainly, the problems noted (wasted post(s) when initiator fails to finish post, short pinital post window, time zone issues) are in the broad specturm trivial in nature and easily remedied, especially w.r.t. 'initial' posts to which the Doc will respond (once, or maybe twice to a followup reply by the original poster);

(5) the sytem can be easily 'gamed' by posters who 'hijack' an inital post/thread on subject (a) by posting a 'stealth' initial post on subject (b) to which no-docs will reply...which is ok except for the 'clutter' it inserts into the initial post/thread on subject (a) ....this is a much harder 'problem' to 'solve'...however, this does not prevent Doc from replying to the initial post;

_Very_ nice site...the Docs' replies are Very well measured and delivered (given the amount of info provided and without seeing the poster ) and Very easy to read because you do not have to 'open' each message in a thread...makes the content Much easier to access and absorb;

light a fire under your software provider ;-)

//

[tessa0825]

No wonder this site is so busy..Everyone wants to get their questions answered by a Dr. from CCFs heart team.....I think we can consider ourselves very lucky that this forum is sponsored by CCF and we all benefit from the answers that all posters receive...Many of the forums on this site are (pay as you post) each time you ask a question that starts the thread....The time window does make it hard not just for people in different time zones but also for most who work full-time jobs, as 9:00 am is the time that many people are at work...My only suggestion would be if there was a way to make the window open at different times each day allowing everyone in every time zone, regardless of work schedules the chance to post?.....I have been to CCF so I know first hand what knowledge and expertise is in that facility. I for one am grateful for this forum and hope it continues for a very long time...Thanks for caring enough to provide it!...Tessa

[arthur]

Your postings are always welcome and always informative and as a result, very likely to be helpful to the addressee as well as the readers of this forum.  

Having said that, and as a reader of this forum, I have noticed that lately you have been posting perhaps more frequently than in the past.  This may trouble some folks, it does not trouble me.  

We live but once in this world, and after a time it becomes obvious that we need to be free to be ourselves in order to achieve some level of satisfaction in our lifelong pursuit of happiness.  It's clear to me, that a significant part of you wants to helps folks out who are troubled by maladies with which you are familiar, perhaps too familiar.  

My suggestion to you is to focus on the empathic part of your life, that is, the part that demands you reach out to others.  For you, it's simply the right thing to do.  So ignore the noise and enjoy the show.

-Arthur

[wmac]

Can you please tell me if this forum still has the place you can ask the doctor a questioin for 14.95 and get three answers from three cardiologist. I just cant seem to find it anymore.
I think that was a great service and if it is not there I think that is just sad.
Wmac

[starion]

My understanding is if you go to some of the other forums on medhelp.org, you can find a service where you get one (or 3) opinions for a fee like $15.  The doctor who provides the answer is an internist NOT a cardiologist, but does research on your question.  Hope this helps.

"Kevin Pho, M.D., who is board certified in Internal Medicine.  Dr. Pho has a private practice in  Internal Medicine and is also affiliated with an academic medical  center where he works in emergency and inpatient venues.  Dr. Pho  specializes in medical information research and medical text review and  editing.  If you have additional questions, Dr. Pho can be reached  through his website (kevinmd_).  Please note that Dr. Pho's website  is a fee-based medical information service."

Starion