Medicine 2.0 and Health 2.0 are terms used to describe the fact that everyone, professionals and patients like can share information on the Internet about health and medical information.
Both Health 2.0 and Medicine 2.0 have given rise to yet another term, apomediation. Apo comes from the Latin for "stand by," and mediate comes from the Latin mediare to "be in the middle." Apomediation describes the fact that when you access information on the Internet, you cut out the gatekeepers or any middlemen (like your own doctor or an insurance salesman), and allows you to go directly to the source of information, even if it is not a (previously considered) "expert" source. The expert "stands by" you. The information may come from a professional, or it may come from someone considered to be more of a peer.
The expert source is an apomediary (or apomediator), someone who stands by, offering you the Internet information you seek.
These apomediaries may have developed an expertise that is not formally credentialed in any particular way, but can be valuable. For instance, a patient who has developed an incredible amount of knowledge about one particular disease, symptom or treatment because she has suffered from it herself, or has been a caregiver for someone who has that disease, and shares that expertise online, is an apomediary. A good example of this person is About.com's Mary Shomon who is known globally for her expertise in thyroid-related problems. Mary is an apomediary (or apomediator) for thyroid information.
You can use this information to help you understand your own medical challenges. However, make sure you confirm the credibility of information provided by apomediaries just as you would for any information you find on the Internet.
Find more information about apomediaries at About.com.
