The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has announced the launch of a new online social networking community called Asklepios that makes it easier for physicians from coast-to-coast to connect, share best practices, and learn from each other. The service is the latest innovative web-based solution designed by the CMA to improve physicians' practices, following the release of the mydoctor.ca health portal in April.
Designed and developed by the CMA exclusively for Canadian doctors, Asklepios functions as a secure physician community facilitating contact between experts and peers alike, irrespective of geographic location or practice specialty. It helps connect physicians with their colleagues across the country, facilitates the sharing of best practices, and fosters a deeper sense of professional affiliation. The online community is only open to Canadian physicians, residents and medical students and is securely hosted in Canada where data is protected.
Asklepios is bilingual, easy to use with a simple and intuitive interface, offering physicians a personalised profile page and access to groups and discussions, and live chat. Other applications will be rolled-out on an ongoing basis, drawing from the experience and feedback of physicians using it.
In a similar move, the American Chemical Society (ACS) recently launched a free social networking site for its members and student affiliates at www.acs.org/membernetwork. The ACS Member Network seeks to facilitate scientific collaboration among chemical science professionals around the world. The site will help scientists connect with members they may already know and leverage the skills and talents of other scientists for knowledge exchange.
