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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

#91

Post by andrewem »

scottjad wrote: post #84
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…

From the page titled "Our Scientists, Doctors, and Researchers" programmer gamer mba programmer student/mathematics student/medicine md/recent grad student/medicine econ BA/finance (labeled researcher) marine biologist (labeled researcher) industrial engineer/entrepreneur (labeled senior researcher) econ BA/event planner student/philosophy+neuroscience+law (labeled researcher) md/recent grad (labeled researcher) eagl…

What surprised me most about that page is that the Chief Science Officer doesn't have an MD or a PhD, though several other employees do. (Also, the Singularity Institute ties immediately rub me the wrong way, though that's a matter for another time.)

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

#92

Post by ryguytilidie »

ams6110 wrote: post #76
ryguytilidie wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Like I said, after the ER I've went to 6 doctors. I didn't go to the ER by choice. I literally passed out, they rushed me to the ER. I followed up with specialists and they had no idea what was wrong and didn't really seem to think figuring it out was worth their time.

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

#93

Post by abraininavat »

ceejayoz wrote: post #82

Googling for "Hank Gardstein MD" finds only a Henry (for which Hank is a nickname) Gardstein ( http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-henry-gardstein-xcs... ) with the same school of medicine, medical specialty, and rough date of beginning of practice as that of the profile on MetaMed. That doctor was disbarred ( http://w3.health.state.ny.us/opmc/factions.nsf/cd901a6816701... ) for writing online pharmacy prescript…

Guy's gotta eat!

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

#94

Post by orangethirty »

rms wrote: post #68
orangethirty wrote: post #64

You definitely need a better landing page. Plus your pricing page needs work. Since this is not a cheap service, I would test a version that did not post prices but encouraged inquiries.

It's probably worth testing, but as hackers and web users we all can't stand websites that don't list prices.

I'm a marketing consultant/software engineer. Have plenty of data that points to not listing prices over $1500. Not in your industry, of course. But I have data from different markets.

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

#95

Post by mindcrime »

carbocation wrote: post #86
mindcrime wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A quick Google search turns this up: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10902-011-9257-7

Yes, I did see that, but it doesn't address the important part of the assertion (more so than drugs or therapy) so to be charitable, I assume the OP has a different reference in mind.

Good point, although it's hard to say without reading the full-text. Personally, I wasn't interested enough to pay for access to read it. shrug Still, it is suggestive that the OP isn't totally blowing smoke on this.

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

#96

Post by mbreese »

andrewem wrote: post #91
scottjad wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the page titled "Our Scientists, Doctors, and Researchers" programmer gamer mba programmer student/mathematics student/medicine md/recent grad student/medicine econ BA/finance (labeled researcher) marine biologist (labeled researcher) industrial engineer/entrepreneur (labeled senior researcher) econ BA/event planner student/philosophy+neuroscience+law (labeled researcher) md/recent grad (labeled researcher) eagl…

What surprised me most about that page is that the Chief Science Officer doesn't have an MD or a PhD, though several other employees do. (Also, the Singularity Institute ties immediately rub me the wrong way, though that's a matter for another time.)

That's what scared me. Seriously, for a company like this, a Chief Science Officer must have a PhD. And there needs to be a Chief Medical Officer that is an MD (possibly the same person).

Starting a company like this with med students (I'm sure she's nice, but the VP of Biology hasn't even finished her MD yet), is not the way to do this. It's a way to get sued.

So while the goals may be good, this is not the way to do it.

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

#97

Post by carbocation »

mindcrime wrote: post #95
carbocation wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I did see that, but it doesn't address the important part of the assertion (more so than drugs or therapy) so to be charitable, I assume the OP has a different reference in mind.

Good point, although it's hard to say without reading the full-text. Personally, I wasn't interested enough to pay for access to read it. shrug Still, it is suggestive that the OP isn't totally blowing smoke on this.

Interesting; I don't have the same take. If the OP's assertion is true, then he's referencing an under-recognized study of critical importance. If it's just hyperbole sitting on top of truth (whether due to an incorrect recollection or otherwise), that's a big problem.

Claims that have some truth to them, but which are not correct, are both endemic to and hazardous in healthcare. I will argue that in this type of conversation, claims of fact that are disputed but ultimately unsupported must be taken to be false until shown otherwise.

(The fulltext of the article that you found doesn't use the terms "SSRI", "medication", "drug", or "therapy", but I haven't read it in depth to see if they're using some unusual synonyms.)

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

#98

Post by zmmmmm »

carbocation wrote: post #16

Whenever we run a test in medicine, we ask, "How would the result affect management?" If the result, one way or another, would not change management, the test is not worth running. The site is down so I have to go from the headline, but I'd ask the same question: how would this service affect clinical management? Can you offer an example?

> If the result, one way or another, would not change management, the test is not worth running

That's got some rationality to it, but how do you value the impact to the patient of simply having an answer? I know people who've broken down and cried with relief when they finally knew what was wrong and the search was over, even though it just meant a lifetime of living with the disease for them.

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

#99

Post by carbocation »

zmmmmm wrote: post #98
carbocation wrote: post #16

Whenever we run a test in medicine, we ask, "How would the result affect management?" If the result, one way or another, would not change management, the test is not worth running. The site is down so I have to go from the headline, but I'd ask the same question: how would this service affect clinical management? Can you offer an example?

> If the result, one way or another, would not change management, the test is not worth running That's got some rationality to it, but how do you value the impact to the patient of simply having an answer? I know people who've broken down and cried with relief when they finally knew what was wrong and the search was over, even though it just meant a lifetime of living with the disease for them.

A test that means the difference between knowing a diagnosis and not knowing a diagnosis is often management-changing. If this test gives you the diagnosis, even if there is no therapeutic option for that disorder, then it means that your search for an answer is through (ending the need for continued testing, anxious uncertainty, etc).

In other posts I offer examples of tests that would not change management, and surely experienced clinicians could offer myriad other examples. (A lot of it depends on the clinical context.)

But thank you for bringing this up; I agree that a diagnosis is, in itself, valuable for patients (and care providers).

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