Dr. Web: This screenshot shows the homepage of groups.yahoo.com/group/dokter, an email forum for doctors and patients to discuss various health issues.

If you have an Internet connection, you have a doctor – thanks to the Community of Indonesian Doctors. Launched in the middle of last year this email group is accessible to anyone online who wants to sign up.

This year, as its number of registered mailing list participants grows, this email group of doctors and patients is fast evolving into an simple way of initiating preliminary consultations on medical problems, clarifying doubts about health issues and seeking referrals for appointments with specialists.

Topics discussed have included the benefits of drinking mineral water, nutrition for specific ailments, tuberculosis symptoms and cancer.

Dr. Maria Silvia of the National Institute of Health Research and Development and a registered doctor member of this group said she found it very satisfying.

“Sharing what we know with others and with the educated community for free is my obligation as a doctor,” she said.

Patients and other registered email participants have congratulated her and the other 10 doctors who respond to queries.

“That’s what makes me feel it is worthwhile. But even if there’s no one [praising us], I’d still give information through this mailing list.”

It turns out there are a great number of members who are willing to openly discuss their health problems on this email forum.

All queries are visible to every registered email participant. Sometimes two or more doctors give their expert opinions on the same topic or health query. This means a patient registered with this group benefits from being able to discuss a medical problem with more than one doctor for free. The downside is that email identities do not ensure 100 percent privacy, and medical queries can be read by others.

Furthermore, not all registered users fall strictly into the categories of doctor or patient.

One registered participant is Pak Hadi, a businessman who sells organic rice to medical institutions and health clinics.

He admits he is “looking for medical clients to sell his products to”, and the email group is working: “Yes, I have new customers,” he said. “It is a good place to sell my product.”

According to Dr. Joan Tanumihardja, the aim of the group is “to discuss particular matters involving medical science, ethics, regulations etc. and to put up job vacancies”.

All very well, but some needs to be taken. As with any other Internet-based email group or blog, it is imperative that a group administrator monitor and moderate the traffic of information, exchange of views and language used – and check whether the group is really functioning as a dynamic medium of discussion or is being abused by a few to vent their own frustrations and misunderstandings to the displeasure of the core group of users.

The moderator of this group certainly deserves commendation for his liberal and yet alert approach. Dr. Richard Susilo, who is believed to be based in Bali, is not well known even among the team of doctors. He monitors subscriber requests, registers new members and unsubscribes those who want out, initiates social gatherings among the doctors and manages the daily exchange of emails.

Not surprisingly, many of the doctors in this email group cannot be approached personally or by phone. They do not and cannot offer face-to face consultation services, not least becaue they come from all over the country, including from remote small towns such as Maumere in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.

Dr. Asep Purnama, who is based in Maumere, is a rare example of a humanitarian doctor available for both emergency calls and routine follow-ups after email discussions. He has has one regret: that few people in his town– or indeed, across Flores – have Internet access allowing them to take advantage of his email group’s free consultation services. He is happy, however, that he can reach out to others further afield.

This medical group reaches beyond borders that are not purely geographical: It also transcends brand marketing of any particular medical products, any particular hospital or any university group.

Several of the doctors refer to other Indonesian online groups, such as AIDS INA Milist and HIV Focus, as earlier attempts to provide free online medical consultations. But while this group is not the first online group, it is the first to fill the gap for a forum for discussing any health queries, whether nutrition, exercise, symptoms or terminal illnesses.

All that remains is for more computers and better communications services, so that anyone and everyone can benefit from this group. And of course, definitely more discussions in English, please!

On the Net

groups.yahoo.com/group/dokter

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