HealthTap Explores How Big a Community You Need to Crowdsource Health Information

A new company named HealthTap has just put together an intriguing combination of crowdsourced health advice and community-building. They rest their business case on the proposition that a battalion of doctors and other health experts--starting at the launch with 580 obstetricians and pediatricians--can provide enough information to help people make intelligent decisions. For me, although the venture is worthy in itself, it offers a model of something that might be even better as a national or international effort.

I had a chance just before the launch to visit the HealthTap office and get a pitch from the boisterous and enthusiastic Ron Gutman. The goal of HealthTap is to help ordinary people--in its first project, pregnant women and new mothers--answer basic questions such as, "What possible conditions match this symptom?" or "What should I do about this problem with a baby?" They don't actually provide health care online, but they provide information directly from doctors on the health issues that concern individuals.