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My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

metamed.com

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Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#71

Post by apsec112 »

logjam wrote: post #67

MD here. The headline on your webpage: "For serious medical conditions, you need direct access to the world’s best researchers ." [my emphasis added] Pardon my skepticism, but that sentence and the rest of your not-functioning-very-well website smell of nothing more than an attempt to ripoff very vulnerable people, and other marketing bullshit. But do please prove me wrong - kindly link to the world-class research yo…

Our consultant network includes Nobel laureates, heads of biology departments, famous professors, and as top-rate people as one can find. They aren't on the first version of the site because a) they're not full-time employees - being very busy, they usually only have a few hours a week - and b), before you ask someone to be on a website, you first have to show them the site, and the site's only been up for about twelve hours because it's launch day. We're currently compiling our business, scientific and medical advisory boards, and will have them up over the next few weeks.

Also, why the rudeness? In terms of the disagreement hierarchy (http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html), you're using DH1 through DH3 - attacking credentials and tone rather than facts.

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#72

Post by carbocation »

apsec112 wrote: post #23
pcrh wrote: post #13

This is the sort of service that a general practitioner should be providing. The vast majority of patients have routine problems. Though these might be distressing to the individuals, the "standard of care" (assuming correct diagnosis) is established practice, and this service would not affect that. For the few with very rare conditions, or with useless primary care physicians, this service might be useful, however t…

There are many conditions which are extremely common, but for which more effective treatments don't propagate to patients. About 5% of the US population has clinical depression, for example, and writing gratitude letters has been shown in studies to be quite effective at treating depression (more so than drugs or therapy). Yet, most patients don't know about it.

> writing gratitude letters has been shown in studies to be quite effective at treating depression (more so than drugs or therapy)

I could not find a publication supporting that assertion after a brief pubmed search. Can you provide one?

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#73

Post by ceejayoz »

Mycroft65536 wrote: post #56
ceejayoz wrote: post #2

As a patient, I'd worry that the "at least two of our expert researchers will validate test results to rule out any errors" would get steered towards the less credentialed folks - the Eagle Scout philosophy major rather than the one or two MDs on the list of staff. I'd have more comments, but the site appears to have gone for now...

The Eagle Scout philosophy majors are doing the photo editing and art design. All of our researchers have a more rigorous background.

That's not borne out by the site.

Health Researcher: Justin Alderis is an Eagle Scout who co-chaired the Princeton Philosophical Society for four years while he earned his BS degree from Princeton University, with a focus on the philosophy underlying cognitive science.

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#74

Post by sytelus »

biotech_anon wrote: post #48
naive wrote: post #35

The website (now loading) lists many health researchers on your team, but it doesn't say say much about their credentials and/or experience in biology/medicine. Can you give us some more details?

It also looks like many are associated with the "Singularity Institute." My exposure to that group left me feeling like it was some sort of cult of charlatans and wide-eyed dreamers. The presentations I've seen from them featured graphs without units and a lot of hand waving without hard data or independent validation. Almost like a sort of Scientology for Silicon Valley.

Whenever the term "meta" is involved with anything, please do expect hand waving ;).

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#75

Post by carbocation »

apsec112 wrote: post #71
logjam wrote: post #67

MD here. The headline on your webpage: "For serious medical conditions, you need direct access to the world’s best researchers ." [my emphasis added] Pardon my skepticism, but that sentence and the rest of your not-functioning-very-well website smell of nothing more than an attempt to ripoff very vulnerable people, and other marketing bullshit. But do please prove me wrong - kindly link to the world-class research yo…

Our consultant network includes Nobel laureates, heads of biology departments, famous professors, and as top-rate people as one can find. They aren't on the first version of the site because a) they're not full-time employees - being very busy, they usually only have a few hours a week - and b), before you ask someone to be on a website, you first have to show them the site, and the site's only been up for about twel…

> Also, why the rudeness? In terms of the disagreement hierarchy (http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html), you're using DH1 through DH3 - attacking credentials and tone rather than facts.

I think you've got things turned around a bit here. He's not using claims of authority to spuriously attack an argument that you're making. You are the one asserting authority, and he's asking for proof. Since you are basing some of your credibility on authority, it seems like a reasonable request.

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#76

Post by ams6110 »

ryguytilidie wrote: post #57
guylhem wrote: post #33

Excellent idea, great concept!!! It's not everyday medicine where you work on simple problems following a statistical approach - an appendicitis is more likely than a Meckel diverticulum, and a simple overeating is even more likely than both. But there are complicated cases - not very often, but that's the one I like, and that most of the passionated doctors do too. Hell - I love such cases. A quick story - I once ha…

I wish more doctors were like you. I was in the ER last month and have seen 6 different doctors since and none really seemed to care once the problem got more complicated than the stock answer or giving me some painkillers :(

ER is not the place to go for diagnosis of anything complicated. They are a first-line triage, treat, and refer operation.

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#77

Post by apsec112 »

sytelus wrote: post #70
apsec112 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be totally impractical to have full time people studying every sub-sub-sub-specialty: if we saw a person with rare disease X once a year, what would the specialist in X do the rest of the time? That's why we have a large network of outside experts we can consult when very domain-specific knowledge is needed. Also, as someone who spends a lot of time working with doctors, the current medical system does not t…

Well, standard consultation does not cost $5000. If I have $5000 to spend, why should I use this website as opposed to directly finding another expert (with real MD degree and hand-on experience) and get their second opinion? I'm not sure of equivalent hourly rate of doctors but even at $500 per hour, I should be able to get a real specialist to study my reports in-depth and take their couple of hours of consulting t…

Sources on second opinions:

http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/news/second_opinion06.shtml

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297020372170457715...

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#79

Post by Mycroft65536 »

carbocation wrote: post #65
Mycroft65536 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some things that are labeled "alternative medicine" have actual studies, with decent sample sizes and good methodologies, showing that they work. These things are worth paying attention to. The rest don't meet our standards and get ignored.

Most things with evidence are readily accepted in modern medicine. Is there an alternative medicine treatment with good evidence that is nevertheless rejected by modern medicine that you can think of as an example?

Foxglove for heart disease. FDA approved and doctors don't recommend it enough.

Re: My new medical research startup launches today: let me know what you think

#80

Post by carbocation »

Mycroft65536 wrote: post #79
carbocation wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most things with evidence are readily accepted in modern medicine. Is there an alternative medicine treatment with good evidence that is nevertheless rejected by modern medicine that you can think of as an example?

Foxglove for heart disease. FDA approved and doctors don't recommend it enough.

The FDA recognizes foxglove as a toxin, not a treatment [1]. You don't want to consume foxglove because, like virtually all herbal supplements, the doses of the active ingredient can vary wildly.

So, we have its derivative, digoxin, available as a prescription medication. And many people do take it. It's helpful for some symptoms of heart failure. One thing it doesn't do, quite notably, is reduce mortality. Anyway, this is an available, commonly prescribed treatment

Not to belabor the point, but I was hoping to hear about alternative medicines that are not accepted but have evidence supporting them.

[1] = http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/detail.cfm?id=...

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