Study indicates consumers user Wikipedia as health resource, suggests doctors write entries

Study suggests doctors could add to Wikipedia

NEW YORK — Researchers are suggesting that doctors could be spending more time writing and editing Wikipedia pages on medical topics.

That suggestion comes despite questions that have been raised about the collaborative online encyclopedia’s credibility.

The researchers say medical professionals should recognize that Wikipedia has become a major online source of health information for consumers. It comes in an item in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

The study says doctors, along with patient groups and associations, can help improve quality at Wikipedia by participating.

The study was prepared by two medical students who are both Wikipedia contributors.