Healthcare Blogger Code of Ethics

Can’t believe it’s April already. Time sure flies…

Applications for membership continue to arrive at a steady pace. I have a dozen or so waiting to be reviewed as I write this. We will get to them as soon as possible.

The Voting Issue:

Now that Dr. Rob has returned from the real world and is once again becoming active in cyberspace I hope to get together with him one of these days and formulate a new membership voting mechanism. Still open to any suggestions you might have on this subject.

For New Members:

If you don’t see your blog listed in the sidebar yet, please be patient. Someone (who shall remain nameless) implemented a new system when I wasn’t looking and I have been entering your info into the old one not realizing it no longer worked. A classic example of one hand not knowing what the other is doing. When I get a chance I’ll get everyone moved over to the new roster.

All for now,
Dean

Hey Gang.  I don’t know how many are reading this regularly, but I would appreciate as much feedback as possible.

As many of you know, I have been dealing with personal/family issues over the past few months and have been out of service.  As I have done this, Dean has taken a lot of the responsibilities for the HBCE, and some has simply fallen by the wayside.  While my problems are not finished, things have gotten substantially better.  I do not have time to take up the reins of this and do it all (like I did at the start).  On the contrary, I would like to have a real community effort on this.

We have done a lot of work on the forum in the past, but as Dean pointed out, it is not a real efficient process and upkeep of the forum is high.

So here are the tasks that we need help on. 

1. Review of websites and approval/rejection of obvious ones.
2. Review of questionable websites by a group and approval and rejection by a reasonable process
3. Giving the HTML code out for the sites that are approved and posting the links on the HBCE website.
4. Upkeep of the HBCE gallery.  This should be a group effort that will require posts on the blog.  It should not be too bad, but I would like enough hands on deck to do 1-2 per week in ideal circumstances.

I really believe in the HBCE as do a lot of you.  I am sorry for my absence, but have been very thankful at the great support.  Please let me know what you all think on this.

Rob

Yes, the HBCE is alive and well and new member applications continue to arrive (although they slacked off a little over the holidays). Dr Rob is on a temporary hiatus (due to a family crisis) and I’m holding down the fort until he can get back to the helm.

Therefore, I’ve not done anything towards implementing a new voting system (or any other new developments) preferring to wait until Rob can get in on the discussion and planning. If you have any ideas along those lines feel free to comment.

Those of you that volunteered to help, we have your names and as soon as Rob gets back we will be moving forward with the newsletter and gallery projects. I apologize on behalf of Dr Rob and everyone involved with the HBCE for this temporary bump in the road. Sometimes these things happen — and as I’m sure you know — they often happen at the worst possible time.

We will persevere,

Dean

Just a note to let you all know that membership applications have been arriving steadily. We’ve added around 10 - 20 new members in the past few weeks… even though we’re getting behind in updating the membership list. (If you haven’t received a response yet on your application, sit tight, we’ll be getting those out as soon as possible.)

Also, you may have noticed that we’ve temporarily suspended posting new blog applications to the forum for voting. There are several reasons for this, the main one being that it was becoming an administrative nightmare.

We need a more efficient way for members to vote. One that doesn’t require the amount of administrative overhead that the forum called for. I’ve proposed to Dr. Rob that we return to a simpler email system of voting… but we still need to hammer out the details on just how to best implement something like that.

If you have any ideas along those lines, let us hear your thoughts.

Thanks for your patience as we continue to grow,
Dean Moyer, Rebuild Your Back

Dear HBCE Members,

We have several blogs presently under evaluation in the Forum:

• A couple of brand new applicants
• Two controversial blogs (That we really need your input on.)
• And a couple that not everyone has voted on yet.

Be sure to log-in and cast your vote and/or leave a comment. If you voiced a concern about one or both of the controversial blogs… be sure to let us know if you’re opinion has changed so we can make a decision to accept or reject. (New information is available on one of them.)

*****

Also, if you’re a HBCE member, but haven’t signed up for the forum and, therefore, haven’t been voting, now is the time to let your voice be heard.

As always, your input is important and helps to ensure that we maintain the highest standard of quality for our community.

Here’s the link to the forum: HCBE Forum

Finally, we are in the process of developing several “staff positions” for those of you who have asked about how you can get involved here at HBCE. If you are interested in helping out with this project, watch for more details coming soon.

Thanks,
Dean Moyer, Rebuild Your Back

Dear HBCE Members,

We have 7 more blogs presently under evaluation in the Forum. There are 3 Healthcare Bloggers and 4 Patient Bloggers. Be sure to log-in and cast your vote.

As always, your input is important and helps to ensure that we maintain the highest standard of quality for our community.

Here’s the link to the forum: HCBE Forum

Also, we could use a moderator for the Patient Blogger Section. If you are interested in helping out with this project, contact Rob for more details.

Thanks,
Dean Moyer, Rebuild Your Back

Dear HBCE Members,

We have 4 new blogs presently under evaluation in the Healthcare Blogger section of the forum. Be sure to log-in and cast your vote.

As always, your input is important and helps to ensure that we maintain the highest standard of quality for our community.

Here’s the link to the forum: HCBE Forum

Thanks,
Dean Moyer, Rebuild Your Back

Your Name
Allison Blass

Email
amblass@gmail.com

Website
http://www.lemonade-life.com

Description of Blog
The adventures of a bicoastal twentysomething with diabetes.

Describe yourself
22-year-old born and raised Oregonian who just switched coasts after graduation. Living just outside New York City. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 8, diabetes advocate since age 15. JDRF Children’s Congress delegate, founder of Diabetes Teen Talk. Currently chairing the planning committee for the first adults w/ type 1 diabetes conference.

Favorite Tags
blogging, diabetes, family, health, humor, identity, JDRF, Jersey, news, NYC, photos, pump, The O.C., touristing, work

Why do you blog?
I blog because it’s the fastest and most convenient way to be a diabetes advocate and a diabetes educator. With my blog, I can tell my story, I can give feedback, I can promote community, I can explain different things going on. It helps me fulfill my mission of making lemonade out of the lemons in my life (namely, diabetes).

Why should readers read your blog?
Well, I’m kind of a big deal… Honestly, I just like to talk about my life and maybe what I’m going through are things other people are going through, and if that’s the case then hopefully we can learn from each other.

Favorite Post

Blessed

I was in Washington Square Park last weekend with my friend Tara (some of you may know her from Diabetes Self-Management), her boyfriend and a few of her friends, and my cousin.

I was sitting on the grass, sipping a Mango bubble tea, laughing at embarassing stories and watching all the New Yorkers (and tourists) mingle about in the park.

Jazz music played in the background, juxtaposed by a conservative Christian choir.

The fountain was in full bloom.

And I thought to myself how incredibly lucky I am to have the life that I do.

It’s not very often, I think, that we really stop to reflect on everything we have and everything we’ve experienced and everything we hopefully get to experience.

The past two months have been challenging - emotionally, physically, financially.

From finding a car in three days to starting a new job while living in a hotel to moving three thousand miles and having to practically start over again, I slowly realized that I have what I really need.

There are people all over the country who support me and encourage me. Complete strangers who out of the blue email me to tell me I’m a worthwhile person.

I have a new family that loves me even though they barely know me, including an older cousin whom I fully intend to adopt and torture like the older brother I never had. He’s an only child and I have almost twenty years of sibling experience.

I have a cool job with even cooler people - and I’m not just saying that because they read this. I laugh everyday and it feels so good, especially when I have to go home to an empty apartment.

I live next to a city that has more opportunities than I could ever dream of taking advantage of, and enough material to satisfy my burgeoning obsession with photography for years.

It’s beautiful when you feel like you’re a part of something just by being.

My dad said to me the other night, “Looks like you’re living the life you always wanted.”

“Almost,” I replied.

I never want to feel like I’m finished. I always want there to be something next.

I never want to lose my momentum.

Or my faith that I’ll always be exactly where I need to be, with the people who need and want me.

Reader Review

Allison writes an enthusiastic and informative blog for anyone who wants to know more about diabetes. She does a wonderful job of talking about living life to the full despite diabetes. And she also posts frequently about diabetes-related information and sites that most readers wouldn’t normally come across.
Allison has also created the extremely useful Diabetes OC blog that maintains a useful list of diabetes-related blogs. She’s a great ambassador of diabetes to the world.
You owe it to yourself to make sure her blog is high on your diabetes blogroll.   - Bernard Farrell of Bernard’s Diabetes Blog.

Editor’s Comment

This blog submission is a byproduct of Amy’s feature of our community in Diabetes Mine.  I am thrilled to have a growing community of diabetes bloggers.  This is a very difficult disease, and as a physician I was very happy to have so many great diabetes sites like Lemonade Life where diabetics can link up and help each other.

The first ever Healthcare Blogger Code of Ethics Newsletter was released today.  If you got one, I hope you liked it.  Please let me know if there were problems.  If you did not get one, it can be viewed or downloaded on the Newsletter Page of this blog (newly added).  If you want to get subsequent newsletters (and no spam, I promise), click on the link on the upper right hand corner of this page under the word “HCBE Newsletter.”

Easy!

Your Name
Amy Tenderich

Email
amy@diabetesmine.com

Name of Blog
www.diabetesmine.com

Website
http://www.diabetesmine.com

Description of Blog
A gold mine of straight talk and encouragement for people living with diabetes.

Describe yourself
Journalist, author, mother of three. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in May 2003. Now running the country’s best-read diabetes blog. Ain’t life funny?

Favorite Tags
diabetes, insulin, diabetic, blood sugar, medical devices

Why do you blog?
After diagnosis, I felt terribly alone and overwhelmed. The Internet then offered nothing but medical documentation and “bad-news” headlines. Where were the patients? Nobody seemed to be reporting from the heart on what it’s really like to live with this volatile disease. So I set out to create the diabetes site that I myself was looking for as a patient. It’s helped me turn my diabetes into something positive - and help others, too.

Why should readers read your blog?
They say I speak creatively and from the heart — to people with diabetes and their family, friends, and community — on topics ranging from inside looks at diabetes research and breaking news to daily life with diabetes to uncovering the diabetics’ deepest hopes and fears. Readers say they always learn a little, laugh a little at DiabetesMine.com.

Favorite Posts:

Excerpts from the Dr. Suess “Fun with Diabetes” Book

March 2 was Dr. Suess’ birthday. In memoriam, I’m feeling silly today:

Lancets! Test strips! Testing now! I can, you can, we know how.

Look! See! Blood drops, one and two and three. Why won’t this meter beep for me?

Numbers now. Number’s high! 182 – my, oh my!

Out with the insulin, out with the needle. Out with the afternoon snack-n-feedle.

Corrections, ouch. Corrections ooch. Injections 10x/day hurt my hooch.

Up, up, up and down the stairs — Now I’m taking stairs in pairs.

Down with the glucose readings! Down, down, down! I’ll have the best numbers in any town.

Funny, now I cannot think… Think what I thunk and my heart begins to sink.

Oops! Up with the sugar level — up, up, up! Glucose tablets, gummi drops, and orange juice in a big, BIG cup.

read more

Amy’s Tour of Health Plans, aka Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Slo-Mo

If I learned anything since my diagnosis, it’s that American health plans are pretty much all the same if you don’t have any special needs. That is, we bounced around a fair bit between various HMOs and PPOs and POS’s over the years. Some had higher co-pays, others had higher deductibles. It didn’t make that much difference, and even though I have three kids, I never looked into it very carefully.

Then I got diabetes. I had to see an endocrinologist regularly. I had to see a diabetes educator and a nutritionist regularly. Since the diabetes affects everything, I had to see an ophthalmologist, allergist, gynecologist, podiatrist, and sometimes orthopedic surgeon. My life became a nightmare of pre-authorizations and referrals. Who was in my network? How much would I have to pay if they weren’t? Why does my local “Medical Group” have the right to restrict me from seeing the world-class diabetes specialists at my local university?

What I found out is summarized below. Note that this highly condensed info took me a good half-year to work out, and with every agency sending me off in another direction, getting there was a bit like taking Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in very slow motion. (The details of your plan options may differ, of course!) And note that just as I’ve figured this all out, my husband’s company is CHANGING PLANS AGAIN!! Am I covered for Exploding Head?! Anyway, here goes:

read more

Reader Review

Diabetes Mine is probably the best written and almost certainly the most-read blog by a person with Type 1 diabetes. Amy touches on almost every conceivable issue relevant to how to manage and live with diabetes, and she does it with clarity, humor and a strong opinionated style. Particularly important is her assessment of new devices and technologies and how well they work in practice. Plus she’s been very aggressive in demanding better technology for diabetics–even asking Steve Jobs to help!

Matthew Holt

Matthew Holt Consulting
Research, forecasting & strategy
for the health care marketplace

Editor’s Comment

I was thrilled for Amy to join our effort here. She lends her high exposure and obvious credibility to the code of Ethics. Her site is clearly the kind of site that needs to be out there on the web - giving patients good solid information in a world where bad information is easier to find than good. Her efforts are a huge bonus to us, but also to the blogging community and diabetics everywhere.