NEW YORK, May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ColumbiaDoctors and Medscape, the leading source of medical news and information for physicians, today announced a partnership that gives physicians using Medscape Consult™ access to the expertise of ColumbiaDoctors, Columbia University Medical Center's faculty practice.
Beginning today, more than 25 health professionals from ColumbiaDoctors representing specialties including oncology, hematology, endocrinology, and surgery will serve as Medscape chief editors and associate editors on Medscape Consult™, Medscape's innovative peer-to-peer, point-of-care digital platform. Accessible to physicians worldwide, the Medscape Consult™ editors will respond to questions, share best practices, and offer expert perspectives. Renowned experts in their respective specialties, ColumbiaDoctors will provide the Medscape Consult™ community with evidence-and practice-based insights into patient care, closely aligning with their basic and clinical research.
"Our new partnership with Medscape enables ColumbiaDoctors to share their insights and perspective with a global physician community facing rapidly shifting clinical concerns," said John Chabot, MD, chief of the Division of GI/Endocrine Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, and vice president of ColumbiaDoctors.
"We welcome the opportunity to expand our ColumbiaDoctors connections with physicians as they increase their reliance on digital sources of information," said Gary Schwartz, MD, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Medical Center. "Through our partnership, ColumbiaDoctors will harness the power of Medscape Consult™ to help physicians better address today's complex patient care questions."
The Growing Power of Physician Crowdsourcing
Launched in November 2015 within Medscape's flagship mobile app, Medscape Consult™ has quickly become a valued clinical resource. Tens of thousands of physicians have leveraged Medscape's crowdsourcing platform to compare cases, ask questions, and discuss best practices, often relying on Medscape's robust reference content for additional clinical support.
The recent outbreak of the Zika virus highlighted the potential of the Medscape Consult™ platform to inform medical professionals about a rapidly developing health concern, more quickly than previously possible. Several weeks before Zika had garnered attention from international health agencies and the mainstream media, a physician in Brazil seeing a spike in infants born with microcephaly posed a question on Medscape Consult™ seeking insights. A discussion on the link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and microcephaly immediately ensued, providing early clinical knowledge on what would become a worldwide health issue.
"It is a privilege to partner with ColumbiaDoctors, one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world and its clinical practice leaders," said Steve Zatz, MD, president, WebMD. "The ColumbiaDoctors partnership further deepens our commitment to ensuring that Medscape Consult™ provides clinical information that is evidence-based, clinically relevant, and grounded in real-world solutions and strategies."
According to Ben Greenberg, WebMD vice president, product management and user experience, the Columbia-Medscape Consult partnership will increase the platform's clinical utility and help improve patient care.
"Given the global nature of medicine and demands on physicians today, we believe that our partnership with Columbia and the power of crowdsourcing through Medscape Consult™ can deliver meaningful value to the medical community and the patients we collectively serve," Greenberg said.
About ColumbiaDoctors
ColumbiaDoctors, the faculty practice of Columbia University Medical Center, includes more than 1,700 physicians, surgeons, dentists, and advanced nurse practitioners, offering more than 230 medical specialties and subspecialties. All ColumbiaDoctors are affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked No. 1 in New York.
About Medscape
Medscape (medscape.com) is the leading source of clinical news, health information and point-of-care tools for healthcare professionals. Medscape offers specialists, primary care physicians and other health professionals the most robust and integrated medical information and educational tools. Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free CME and CE courses and other educational programs for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
About WebMD
WebMD Health Corp. is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms and health-focused publications. WebMD®, Medscape®, CME Circle®, Medpulse®, eMedicine®, MedicineNet®, theheart.org® and RxList® are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.
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SOURCE WebMD/Medscape
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