June 4, 2003

Time for a physical - and a social software lazyweb request

beforeafter-small.jpg I've lost 50 pounds on the Atkins plan since November.  I feel great.  Take a quick look at these before and after photos.  Now, I want to go to a doctor and get a complete physical - both for health insurance reasons (lower those premiums!) and because it has been about 3 years since I've seen my doctor.  Well, there's the rub - when I called to make an appointment, they told me that he moved out of town.  Couldn't wait for me to call, I guess.  Frankly, I never much liked him anyway.

So here's my dilemma - I'm looking for recommendations of a good doctor or group in San Francisco that can become my new GP.  This is where the social software idea hit me - I'd love to go to a place like LinkedIn and make a non-work-related request - like finding a good doctor or dentist - and get back responses from my friends or my friends' friends. I know there are tons of good doctors in San Francisco, but this is the kind of choice that becomes so much easier to make if I can get a response from someone I trust - which is the point of these networking services, no?  I'm sure there's even a business model in there, perhaps something like the Meetup model.

So, dear readers, got any suggestions on a good doctor in SF that takes Blue Shield?  Submit it as a comment or drop me a line.

Posted by dsifry at June 4, 2003 11:11 AM | TrackBack | View blog reactions
Comments

I find mailing lists are great for requests like this -- NWR here in seattle was founded for off-topic (non-web related or non-work related) discussions, orginally from webgrrls members (now digital eve members or other congenial folk). No similar lists in the bay area? people ask about car repair places, *lots* of doc recommends, plus politics, humor of the day, etc. High traffic but worth it. People always like to give advice or recommend their own favorite whatever; today we are talking about the best place to get a brazilian wax job!

Posted by: Anita Rowland at June 4, 2003 11:35 AM

Anita,

Yes, we have lists like Craig's list here in SF, but I don't want to hear about doctors and dentists from people I don't know or trust - given the wackos here in SF, I'd find significantly more value in getting a single name from someone I trust or a friend of someone who I trust. There are no ad-hoc types of social network sout there that I know of - either it is a shotgun approach (put an ad in the classifieds, post a message to Craig's List) or a rifle approach (call or send an email to people I know asking for advice). Wouldn't it be cool if I could get access to my friends' social networks (and give them access to mine) in a trusted manner to ask these kinds of questions? That's what I've been thinking of.

Posted by: David Sifry at June 4, 2003 2:41 PM

I'd say we *do* know each other on NWR in an online way, though some post more than others. I've only met a few face to face, but I'd be able to evaluate the usefulness of the answers I got by who was writing, by the experience I've had with them over years. Also, a list member does compiles of reponses on topics that come up regularly.
http://www.oz.net/~pstucky/compiles/index.html

Another place I'd ask such a question would be vanguard-disc, a mailing list associated with a Seattle sf fandom group that's been meeting monthly for twenty years.

Just because I trust my friends doesn't mean I trust or esteem *their* friends, so it will be interesting to see what ideas folks come up with.

Posted by: Anita Rowland at June 4, 2003 7:34 PM

Can't help with a doctor referral, I'm afraid - but the recommendation service you're pondering sounds an awful lot like what wordofmouth.com was supposed to become. It's sadly rolled up into something else now, but the idea had real promise.

It was put together by Rick Levine (the Ringo Starr of the Cluetrain Four :-), and was designed to be an online small business-centered referral service. Kind of a democratic whuffie ranking system, where people in a local community could post plaudits and brickbats about neighbourhood firms, stores and services.

A Technorati for meatspace, you might say...

Doc Searls would probably remember more about this than me.

Posted by: Michael O'Connor Clarke at June 4, 2003 9:43 PM

Dave, Gosh, I work right next to you at Sputnik and I'd be happy to give you the name and contact info of my most excellent Doc in SF... All ya have to do is walk about 5 feet and ask (added bonus: getting up from your computer and walking is a good complement to the Atkins diet).

Ah, but so old fashioned... ;-)

Posted by: Dave LaDuke at June 5, 2003 9:44 AM

moved? i can do better: the doctor i was assigned by the health plan from my first post-college employer had *died* before i tried to schedule my first appointment. that was an awkward phone call.

Posted by: jim winstead at June 5, 2003 3:37 PM

Damn Dave... you look 15 years younger!

Yeah... I usually like to stay trim... need to loose 15lbs. It is amazing the difference loosing *10* pounds makes! You must feel like a new person!

Up with geek fitness!

Kevin

Posted by: Kevin Burton at June 8, 2003 8:02 PM