ADA News
Top Sharecare Contributor wins computer
New Mexico dentist posts most answers in ADA contest
Rio Rancho, N.M.—Dr. Greg Jorgensen often has patients who have done their research prior to seeing him.
Unfortunately, their Internet-based research isn’t always sound. It comes from nondentist sources and is often incorrect, the orthodontist said.
"Today’s consumers are not content to just see advertisements on TV or go to their dentists and be educated chairside," Dr. Jorgensen said. "Most of them, before they come to see us, want to know something about the procedures, the diagnosis and the treatment options out there. Many of them will come in with printouts from the Internet."
So Dr. Jorgensen was excited when he heard of the opportunity to be an ADA Sharecare Contributor on Sharecare.com where dentists can share their oral health expertise directly with the public. In an ADA contest, Dr. Jorgensen posted the most answers to questions posed by the public—a total of 97—between Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2011. He won an HP 635 Notebook computer, courtesy of Hewlett Packard, the only computer company endorsed by ADA Business Resources.
"When I saw the ADA was going to be part of Dr. Oz's Sharecare website, it sounded like a perfect venue for me," Dr. Jorgensen said.
Sharecare was co-created by Mehmet Oz, M.D., a physician who first began fielding questions on "The Oprah Show" and now hosts "The Dr. Oz Show," and Jeff Arnold, founder of WebMD. The goal of Sharecare, which launched in 2010, is to provide accurate, clear and concise health information from multiple points of view. Millions of consumers have visited Sharecare.com seeking answers to their health care questions from health care professionals.
ADA active licensed members have been fielding consumers' questions on oral health and answering them on Sharecare.com. There are more than 280 ADA Sharecare Contributors, and as of December, they had answered more than 2,600 questions on the website.
Dr. Jorgensen said he tries to make his answers as succinct as possible, understanding that most people either don’t have the time or won’t make the time to read a long, drawn out answer. He mostly focuses on orthodontic questions about braces, the smile and invisible alignment devices.
Dr. Jorgensen lectures nationally on social media, and he frequently tells his audiences that patients often base their decisions and their opinions of dentistry from what they see online and what they hear from their friends.
"They’re going to be talking, and we better be part of the discussion," Dr. Jorgensen said. "If we don’t get involved in projects like this, other people who have an agenda will get involved; people who are trying to sell something or people who have a particular point of view. I feel like those of us who are university-trained, specialty-trained, we need to be out there answering questions."
For more information or to apply to be a Sharecare Contributor, visit ADA.org/Sharecare.
