In talking with a friend about how a blog could help her with her patients, we came up with a nifty idea that others could use also.  First, some background.
    My friend, Barbara, is a Physician Assistant working in school-based health.  She presented me with a typical scenario that she wished she had a more effective way to  deal with it.  She works in a rural setting and deals with constant misinformation.  Teenagers believe some crazy things.  For example, one young lady, 14 years old, came to visit with symptoms of pregnancy.  When Barbara informed her that she was pregnant, the young lady protested saying that she had never slept with anyone. 

    Barbara asked, "Do you mean to tell me that you have never had sex?" 

    The adolescent responded that she has had sex dozens of times; she's just never slept with anyone.

    After I stopped laughing, I suggested that she could use a blog to deal with this kind of misinformation.  The benefits are:

• Barbara can get the correct information to all her students at one time while protecting the privacy of the individual involved.
• get the correct information out there very quickly.
• invite a dialog with the students at her school in a way that most school-based health professionals don't have the opportunity to.

Can this idea help you?  A blog can be a very effective education tool.  Try it.

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC