National Jewish Health and MedHelp Celebrate 10 Years of Helping Patients Together

National Jewish Health, the #1 respiratory hospital in the United States, and MedHelp, the world’s largest online health community, recently celebrated their tenth anniversary of partnering to provide consumers with personalized answers to their respiratory health questions. The partnership, which was established in response to the health needs of the September 11th first responders, has helped more than 10 million people get timely medical advice tailored to their individual health concerns.
 
After the collapse of the World Trade Towers on September 11, 2001, it became evident that the debris blowing through the streets and into the lungs, eyes, mouths and ears of the first responders was dangerous. MedHelp quickly joined efforts with National Jewish Health to create a respiratory disorders expert forum to give the rescuers at the World Trade Center site access to top medical experts in their field.

The response to the forum was overwhelmingly positive. Realizing the need for such a service for the general public as well as for emergency responders, the respiratory disorders expert forum was opened to the public a few months later. Over the next several years, MedHelp and National Jewish Health expanded the partnership with additional expert forum topics, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  (COPD) and asthma and allergy.

When it comes to finding health information online, consumers trust information they receive from doctors the most. According to Kantar Media’s 2011 MARS Resource & Interaction Study, 89 percent of U.S. online users conduct research on Internet health sites online but 74 percent of users are cautious about the information they receive. Additionally, a study by Edelman Health Barometer in 2011 revealed that doctors rank the highest at 88 percent as the most credible health information.

“Many online health sites provide a generic overview of health information, however, people want to know how this information relates to their unique situation,” said John de Souza, president and CEO of MedHelp. “By providing members a rare opportunity to connect directly with top medical experts to ask personalized questions about their specific concerns, the partnership between MedHelp and National Jewish Health fills a critical gap in what consumers seek from health information online.”

“National Jewish Health is pleased and proud to celebrate 10 years of working with MedHelp,” said David Tinkelman, MD, vice president of Health Initiatives at National Jewish Health and one of the original experts participating in the respiratory disorders expert forum. “By bringing together the best of both medical resources, this partnership not only provides an opportunity for consumers to have personal and direct communications with nationally-recognized experts, but it also acts as a source of patient referrals for our hospital.”

MedHelp has been connecting members to leading doctors and hospitals for more than 18 years, and has well-established partnerships with leading medical institutions including 7 of the top 10 U.S. hospitals, providing consumers with unparalleled access to experts to address their personal health needs.

“MedHelp and National Jewish Health have built a very strong relationship over the last decade, and we look forward to extending that relationship in the coming months and years,” said de Souza.

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About MedHelp
As the world’s largest online health community, 12 million unique users turn to MedHelp each month to achieve better health. With communities providing support for more than 300 conditions, forums that connect users to doctors across the country, and partnerships with leading medical institutions, including 7 of the 10 top U.S. hospitals, MedHelp provides unparalleled access to information and advice tailored to consumers’ personal health needs. MedHelp’s suite of more than 50 online health tools, award-winning mobile apps, and seamless integration with numerous health devices create a robust destination for consumers to engage with and track their health. By closely connecting experts, support communities, and health tools, MedHelp empowers millions of people to be their healthiest each and every day. For more information, visit www.medhelp.org.