NPR takes on Medical Blogs

A week ago NPR did a story on the rise of medical blogs by health professionals. They mostly discuss the ethical questions that arise about Doctors/RNs blogging: are the bloggers maintaining their patient's privacy? are their entries HIPAA compliant?

I believe that all medical bloggers consider these questions each time they post. For most health professionals, we've been so rigorously trained to comply with HIPAA regulations in our work lives that we don't forget that training once we start blogging. Many medical blogs contain disclaimers or certifications that attest to our commitment to our patient's safety and privacy. I encourage you to take a look at my disclaimer in the lower right hand panel of this blog.

It is a valuable discussion if you enjoy reading, writing, or participating in medical blogs. Some popular medical blogs mentioned in the entry include Kevin, MD, Wachter's World, M. D. O. D., and White Coat Rants.