Online medical communities are increasing, according to the New York Times. Better known as crowd-sourcing or open-source research, this use of the Internet combines the every day experiences of patients with the scientific research of doctors and scientists to create a community of support, data and research.

Dr. Amy Farber founded such a Web site, paving the way for much needed copy cats, after she was diagnosed with LAM. Dr. Farber believes that these online communities "have the potential to change medical research," especially in the cases of rare diseases where little research or headway has been made.

The main idea behind crowd-sourcing or open-source research is that, by using two incredibly undertapped sources -- the Internet and patient experiences -- scientists can gather new data and generate new hypotheses and avenues for research.

"We're really turning patients into scientists and changing the balance of power between clinicians and scientists and patients," Frank Moss, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory, stated in the New York Times.

While this model receives many accolades, others stand weary over the use of non-scientific data, namely patients experiences, within the scientific medical arena. Proponents argue that the quality of the information obtained through the Web is not up to par with that earned through established studies that require face-to-face interaction between clinicians, scientists and patients.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/health/25web.html?_r=1&ref=health