Question to members about contributions from Professionals

Do you think this is a good idea?

  • Good idea

    Votes: 14 36.8%
  • Bad idea

    Votes: 19 50.0%
  • Not really bothered/Dont know

    Votes: 5 13.2%

  • Total voters
    38
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Patch

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Short term disruption for long term gain. Happens all the time.

Ultimately worth it.

What concerns me more than this exercise is that I just answered a member who needed help. The OP had over 80 views and yet not one person even attampted an answer despite the post being bumped up twice ! Where is the help and support this new member came here for !

That is unfortunate.
 

sugarless sue

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

frenchkittie said:
cugila said:
I think the consensus here is against this idea. ....

I don't know, this thread has had 788 views, but only 56 votes.

As it stands 18 voters think it is a good idea, 34 voters think it is a bad idea and 4 voters don't know/don't care.

What about the other 732? Even allowing for repeated views of the thread by those that actually voted, everyone else that read this seem (by their lack of vote) to fall into the "don't know/don't care" category.

Actually there have been about 25 different posters on this thread, if each one viewed once after that then that would take you well over 788 ( 1525) . So 9 voters did not bother to post a view on the subject. However there do not seem to be many regular members posting just now.
 

viviennem

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

I couldn't answer that post. It was outside my knowledge and experience, and as Catherinecherub had acknowledged it twice, little was to be gained by me adding a useless tuppence-worth!

Viv 8)
 

cugila

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

viviennem said:
I couldn't answer that post. It was outside my knowledge and experience, and as Catherinecherub had acknowledged it twice, little was to be gained by me adding a useless tuppence-worth!

Viv 8)

Yep. Not everybody has the requisite knowledge to answer such posts, however we do have many Insulin and Byetta users ...... They do have the knowledge, for some reason nobody posted anything of use.

Messages of support also go a long way to reassure the new members. Better than them going away thinking nobody cares ! Perhaps everybody is on holiday ......
 

RussG

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Patch said:
Can I ask - are those of you that are against professionals posting, actually against them posting completely, or against them being identified as professionals within their posts?

TBH - as far as I'm concerned, good advice is good advice, and I couldn't care less if the person offering it is identified as a qualified professional or not.
So what's good advice? Stuff you agree with? Stuff that works? How do you know? I think many people will see "letters after the name=good advice".

Allowing people to advise from a position of professional expertise would create a two tier system for many people. Being in a discussion about what you do from your own experience and how that works, is very different to saying 'I'm a medical professional' which will often translate into 'I know what's best'.

For me I don't want people coming on the forum to convince me that they have the answer to my diabetes, whether that be full carb, low carb, no carb, reflexology or some tincture made from the posterior sweat glands of South American fruitbats. I want read about other people's experiences, ask specific questions, vent occasionally and share news. I'm not interested in evangelical attempts to convert me to the church of only eating food with a 'k' in it or whatever.

Medical professional can and should be able to post but only as users of the forum. I believe this should be a forum primarily written by people with diabetes for people with diabetes (and their families etc.). If I want medical advice, I'll go to my medical team. I can then use the forum to test, probe and challenge that advice by asking experienced people on the forum.

Bringing medical professional status in will, IMHO, irrevocably change the forum. It will bring a whole host of issues regarding the verification of these posters, liability about advice given, and ongoing issues over what happens when a professional gets into a spat with a civilian and feels they have been defamed etc. Advice here is given freely based on personal experience only, and it is understood to be on that basis only. That changes when you allow people to put their qualifications on.

I was reading about a poster on Mumsnet who had protracted discussions about the death of their child involving lots of other people, only for it to come out that she had faked the whole thing. Some people clearly get their kicks out of trying to manipulate people, some people are simply fruitcakes, some people are charlatans, some people are well meaning but obnoxious, some people are misguided. Here, we're all just people with diabetes. It's a great equaliser.
 

cugila

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Nice post russ.....very well put !
 

Hobnoblin

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

I think it is a good idea but only if those professionals' qualifications can be validated in some way.

There's lot's of differing opinions about diabetes management on here and it's easy to attempt to rubbish someone on here just because you don't like what they have to say. It's shocking how some professionals have been treated. Some sort of validation would shut the nastier elements up.
 

donnellysdogs

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

well said Russ
 

slimtony

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Russ,

You may not have heard it, but your post raised a cheer from fruitbats all across South American.
 

cugila

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Hobnoblin said:
I think it is a good idea but only if those professionals' qualifications can be validated in some way.

There's lot's of differing opinions about diabetes management on here and it's easy to attempt to rubbish someone on here just because you don't like what they have to say. It's shocking how some professionals have been treated. Some sort of validation would shut the nastier elements up.

We have plenty of HCP's on here who are treated with courtesy, they don't come here with 'all guns blazing' as one long term member put it.

However any 'professional' with an attitude, and posts in a pompous arrogant manner deserves both barrels !

I have respect for the former - none for the latter !
 

sugarless sue

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

I was told today, by a Doctor, that an Hba1c of 7.3% was good !

Did I accept that ? No I did not ! ( not my Hba1c BTW but a relative !) She said that they thought having it lower was unrealistic for some Diabetics as increasing medication has side effects ! When I pointed out that my relative was not on any medication she lost the place in her script and didn't know what to say.

Is this the sort of advice we will get from HCP's ?( not our regular members who are also Diabetics)

I have said in an earlier post, give our HCP members the kudos, their advice is sound and can be trusted.
 

Hobnoblin

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

cugila said:
We have plenty of HCP's on here who are treated with courtesy, they don't come here with 'all guns blazing' as one long term member put it.

However any 'professional' with an attitude, and posts in a pompous arrogant manner deserves both barrels !

I have respect for the former - none for the latter !

Like I said,it's easy to rubbish professionals that we don't agree with.

Personally I'd like to hear both sides of the debate. It shoudn't be down to the whim of individuals how much respect professionals are shown. If a person has achieved a medical/dietetic qualification it is not down to the ordinary members of the board such as ourselves to besmirch them. We can disagree yes, we don't have to listen but they certainly know a bit more than the rest of us.
 

Hobnoblin

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

sugarless sue said:
I was told today, by a Doctor, that an Hba1c of 7.3% was good !

Did I accept that ? No I did not ! ( not my Hba1c BTW but a relative !) She said that they thought having it lower was unrealistic for some Diabetics as increasing medication has side effects ! When I pointed out that my relative was not on any medication she lost the place in her script and didn't know what to say.

Is this the sort of advice we will get from HCP's ?( not our regular members who are also Diabetics)

I have said in an earlier post, give our HCP members the kudos, their advice is sound and can be trusted.

Hhhhmmmm bit of a tricky one Sue, given the 'we are all different mantra' here. Lot's of people here are happy with such a Hba1c, there was a debate on it just recently, are you saying that the promotion of such Hba1cs shouldn't be allowed?

I don't think the strategy should be to not allow members to see posts from 'professionals'. I'm in favour of having all the information available and let the individual make their minds up. We all do that anyway, difference is we only have access to one set of professionals at any given time. I can't see the harm of professionals from different perspectives giving their take on a topic and the individual deciding what's best for them.

I'm not a staus quo fan LOL :D
 

sugarless sue

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

My doctor actually admits I know more about Diabetes that she does ! Most GP's unless they have a special interest in it only have a basic understanding of diabetes and generally just follow the guidelines. That is not my opinion that is what my GP told me !

Hobnoblin, Any Hba1c over 7 is considered going into complication territory. I don't think that has changed....just the 'dumbing' down of the guidelines !
 

cugila

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Hobnoblin

You reckon ? Is that why we get so many members coming on here complaining about the self same advice from the professionals. I listened to 'professionals' for many years and found that a lot of it was rubbish. As individuals we are all entitled to an opinion, just don't expect me to be in awe of a title......

I suppose its OK for these self same professionals to come on here and belittle, insult and deride mods and members then ? They deserve more protection than those that think they know it all !
 

Hobnoblin

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

sugarless sue said:
Hobnoblin, Any Hba1c over 7 is considered going into complication territory. I don't think that has changed....just the 'dumbing' down of the guidelines !

I totally agree Sue, but clearly others on the board have their own personal issues that mean that they can't achieve that.

I can understand that members want the forum to be for diabetics by diabetics, but then we do have the issue that some non diabetic professionals post already.

Perhaps we could re-open the Ask the Experts section? Validated posters could post there as professionals but not elsewhere? Then they could only respond if a member posts a specific question? Not sure how practical this would be as everyone is busy, especially healthcare professionals.
 

Hobnoblin

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

cugila said:
Hobnoblin

You reckon ? Is that why we get so many members coming on here complaining about the self same advice from the professionals. I listened to 'professionals' for many years and found that a lot of it was rubbish. As individuals we are all entitled to an opinion, just don't expect me to be in awe of a title......

I low carb and not found many professionals that would agree with me :D but I have looked at all the information out there and decided for myself what was best for me. I don't want to mention names but there is one particular dietitian on here who has received an awful lot of stick, that just isn't on. Same token in the past doctors have also received stick. Surely the more professionals we have on board the better. What an amazing resource for the newly diagnosed to have professionals on tap here. Wow!

cugila said:
I suppose its OK for these self same professionals to come on here and belittle, insult and deride mods and members then ? They deserve more protection than those that think they know it all !

I think everyone should conduct themselves with good grace and courtesy. The mods should address any behaviour that contravenes the rules. Otherwise I think it maybe a clash of styles. I sort of expert professionals to be business like in their responses. I would much rather give them the benefit of the doubt than dismiss them because I didn't like their posting style.
 

Unbeliever

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

cugila said:
Patch said:
Unbeliever said:
Maybe only HCP's who are also diabetic should be allowed.

This is a very good point. I don't think we should stop ANYONE posting - but HCP's with Diabetes would be most welcome.

What a good point .......

I must remember to ask my cardiologist if he has ever had a by-pass, ask my oncologist if he has ever had Cancer .........I am sure they will know much more about the conditions if they have.

Too right they would! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

cugila

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

Hobnoblin said:
I low carb and not found many professionals that would agree with me :D but I have looked at all the information out there and decided for myself what was best for me.

I low carb too.....have done for over two years on and off, carb amounts vary. My choice. I also don't eat much fat, it works well for me and has allowed me to come off meds, lose a shedload of weight and achieve great HbA1c and daily Bg numbers. so what I do works for me. My Diabetic Team, Endo and SDSN plus my GP all support my low carbing, I'm lucky in that respect.

Now, if someone on here tells me that I can't possibly be doing that, that it's not sustainable, that I must be drinking loads of alcohol, am sitting here behind a PC screen and hardly seeing daylight because of this and does it in an insulting manner.....do you think I should 'turn the other cheek just because I was a Mod here ?' No way Jose ! That person was accusing me of lying, a virtual alky and other stuff, attacking my integrity. Now I don't take kindly to that sort of talk from anybody, whatever anybody else thinks !

Mods here were previously allowed the freedom to defend themselves from such tactics and always had the backing of the Administrator. Well, now we have a new Admin and mods......I wonder what will happen when the same things happen to them, we shall see.


I don't want to mention names but there is one particular dietitian on here who has received an awful lot of stick, that just isn't on.
I agree, that member is a respected dietician who has always been courteous in all the dealings we had here. There was a time we disagreed and frequently clashed on the boards, that member is now a friend and we buried our differences here. Like civilised human beings and with mutual respect.

Same token in the past doctors have also received stick. Surely the more professionals we have on board the better. What an amazing resource for the newly diagnosed to have professionals on tap here. Wow!

Depends what they are here for......if they genuinely want to offer advice and support, that's fine by me. however, if they only want to promote themselves as some sort of expert above all others.......they can go whistle !

I think everyone should conduct themselves with good grace and courtesy. The mods should address any behaviour that contravenes the rules.

I agree, the person at the hub of all this was dealt with in accordance with the rules as they were at that time. That member was suspended to consider how they posted towards Mods and for credentials to be checked. All in accordance with the rules........however the rules got changed but nobody thought to tell the mods about that did they ? Lack of communication........

Otherwise I think it maybe a clash of styles. I sort of expert professionals to be business like in their responses. I would much rather give them the benefit of the doubt than dismiss them because I didn't like their posting style.

I too expect 'professionals' to behave in that way, not be pompous, insulting and arrogant ! Treat people as you find them me........like it or not....... I have given 'professionals' the benefit of my advice when they treated me less than correctly. I was a professional too in a previous life.......

As for the Ask an Expert suggestion, we used to have a section entitled that but it wsa re-named a while ago to Ask a Question. the reason being that although we do have experts here in all sorts of fields, none could be verified, many were governed by ethical restraints and it was felt best to leave it as it was. If there is to be a section for 'experts' then in my view it should NOT be on the forum but placed on the main community pages where the proper controls and a proper complaints procedure can be set up to safeguard members of the public.

The forum should remain a place for discussion and debate for diabetic's with no status accorded other than those that moderate or Administer. That way no one member would be above any other. we certainly don't want to see members shouting "I AM RIGHT.' in their posts.........

Hope that helps......... :)
 

Hobnoblin

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Re: Question to members about contributions from Professiona

There's clearly a lot of history here but I would maintain that a place where professionals can debate a topic would be an invaluable resource. It's not for us to decide which professionals that have a voice here and which don't. That would up to those with the power to do so, based on a hopefully thorough vetting system.

As I said, the professionals have to be validated in some way for it to work. It is then down to the mods and admin job to sort out forum etiquette. If we have a complaint we need to go through them. I struggle to see how a resource of professionals posting could ever be considered a bad thing. Yes we might not agree but it still adds to the debate. As far as hierachies and one poster being deemed to be of a higher status than another, that goes on on all forums anyway, just covertly. Most forums have cliques of one kind or another and many have several cliques. It's just human nature. Unfortunately when it comes to the layman and medical professionals the professional should always be seen as more of an expert, they have the training after all. I don't see what's wrong with that and at the end of the day the reader can take heed or not!

I'm not sure what 'we' want, I'd hate to think there was an unsaid agreement as to what the forum should become but I know what I want in this forum. Somewhere where it's safe to debate and discuss without fear or ridicule and personal attacks, a place where we can disagree as well as agree, albeit in a courteous manner and a place where the health of it's members is more important than egos and agendas. But that's just me.

In reality it's probably too much hassle to set up. Doesn't mean it's not a good idea though.
 
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