Medpedia, the medical wiki edited by physicians and PhDs, has continued to expand since the HSLS Update first reported on it in June, 2009. In addition to authoritative information about health, medicine, and the body, Medpedia has added a clinical trials tool to its menu, Medpedia Clinical Trials. Medpedia Clinical Trials updates every 24 hours from the data on ClinicalTrials.gov, a registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world.
The Clinical Trials search interface is available in two tabs labeled Plain English (Simple Search) or Clinical (Advanced Search). Additional fields beyond the initial search box in the simple search interface are optional. Note that once a simple search is performed, the additional options from the advanced search are provided on the results page for further filtering. It clearly states on every screen that “Clinical Trials data is updated daily.”
Medpedia includes health and medical information for use by both healthcare professionals and consumers. The site is structured around a collaborative encyclopedia, a directory of professionals and organizations, and topical Communities of Interest that draw from the expertise of the contributing experts and members. The new addition of the Medpedia Clinical Trials interface makes searching for related information easier and faster for both professional and patient.
Personalized accounts allow members, including consumers, to focus on specific health concerns and easily gather information in one coordinated online “dashboard.” The new Clinical Trials tool automatically links to members’ selected Communities of Interest. This feature allows people with common health interests to share information and communicate inside Medpedia. Anyone may join and create a community of interest.
Medpedia has become a highly responsive information service that provides authoritative, timely information to both health care professionals and consumers alike.
~ Andrea Ketchum