We’ve previously written about Healthysparx, an alleged Quora for health. But today we have to re-consider the arguments we’ve made in that post and take the ambitious goals and intuitive user interfaceof such a service into account when looking at Heatlthtap, which had launched only recently in public beta.
The moment you log into Healthtap, you get a feeling of what we really mean by “a Quora for health”. Healthtap is elaborate, yet simple. The interface invites you to ask questions, share information and interact with the web application. It seems almost natural to post your question to one of the 5.000 registered physicians who are there to answer your medical questions.
By adding game mechanics through so-called “health points” and various other elements that enhance site interaction, we can see this service growing rapidly soon. Or as our beloved friend and well known medical blogger Doctor V recently puts it: “HealthTap is an interactive health network centered around a rapidly growing database of health information driven by patient questions.”
Quora is taking the concept of Q&A to the next level by excellent software engineering and user interface. So does Healthtap, but the startup, founded by Ron Gutman, also adds its network of phyisicans across the US to the initial pool of doctors available to answer your questions.
We’ll be watching the company closely and we’d love to see such initiatives and companies in Europe as well. Healthtap seems to have listeneted. They’ve apparently watched closely how others have failed and how – in comparison – primitive other services are acting in that area. Doctor V claims that we, as physicians, act in “Silos” and that those silos need to be connected with the patient. Healthtap did listen and it looks like they are eventually connecting the dots. Connecting the doctor with the patient.
Good job!
