Eh I'm confused re medical advice not allowed??

TaBunny

Hi I just noticed the thread on hyperthyroidism has been closed due to medical advice not being allowed on this forum but I have to admit I'm a bit bemused by this as surely people are giving advice both medical and financial on many of the threads on this forum so just wondered what's the coo??

Gemmzie

Medical advise regarding medication or treatment isn't allowed, I think that's where the line is drawn.

qwertyuiop12345

I think the problem on that thread was that people were advising taking specific medications and supplements. Most messageboards won't allow this kind of advice in case it turns out that someone takes something that is dangerous for them and tries to find someone to hold accountable.

I am a mod on a health messageboard elsewhere and we always remove threads recommending people do things like stop taking their cancer drugs and take a nutritional supplement instead etc. You would be surprised by how often this happens! So even messageboards which are entirely about health advise can't allow specific advise on what to take.

P.S. I'm not saying that is what that thread was doing, just giving it as an example.

TaBunny

Hey thanks guys now I get it

Horace

Bunny - I think it is also a public liability issue, say someone gave advice to take or not take a particular kind of medication and that person then died, it would open up a whole can of worms and poor MSE Martin might find himself with a lawsuit.

LittleTinker

Its basically because people dont always know the difference between opinion and advice.....and so a thread gets removed for just saying something innocent.

This is the most OTT forum I know when it comes to uttering anything medical. Most of the ones I go to allow you to talk about anything medical so long as it is clear that it is what you do yourself and that you are not telling anyone else what to do. And no dosages are allowed on some.

Ames

You'd think though that the same rules should apply to financial and benefits advice, since someone could end up in a real pickle if they follow the wrong advice. How come in that instance it's up to the person to make a judgement about whether or not to take the advice, but if it's medical the reader isn't given the same amount of respect.

Errata

Ames, I guess the answer is that someone following incorrect financial advice can finish up skint, but someone following incorrect medical advice can finish up dead.

LittleTinker

Ames....because it would seem that people who need any medical discussion or advice are not capable of any common sense or any respect.

Go on to Old Style and you will find LOTS of posts telling people its ok to eat Out of Date meat.....defrosted and re frozen chicken is ok......and some things reccommended to 'save a few pence' are down right illegal!

Its all screwed up. None of it will result in any harm coming to this site at all because we all have freedom of speech. We havent been employed by this site.....which is the only time they would have to worry about what we say.

PolishBigSpender

LittleTinker wrote: »

Go on to Old Style and you will find LOTS of posts telling people its ok to eat Out of Date meat.....defrosted and re frozen chicken is ok......and some things reccommended to 'save a few pence' are down right illegal!

Then report these posts.

Its all screwed up. None of it will result in any harm coming to this site at all because we all have freedom of speech. We havent been employed by this site.....which is the only time they would have to worry about what we say.

We don't have freedom of speech. You have a right to 'freedom of expression' - and if you read the relevant part of the Human Rights charter, you'll see just that.

I appreciate you might not understand publishing laws - but they really are very simple. Someone publishing material, be it on a website, via television or radio or on printed material is liable for the content which they publish. Therefore, this website is liable for the content posted upon it.

nanokitten

I fully support MSE from steering clear of medical advice, however,
If anyone does want to get more info or opinions on a medication, including feedback from other users, a respectable website with a forum is http://www.patient.co.uk/

My GP's online prescription service links to this site which seems as good a reccommendation as any. You can veiw the same infor a your GP would see, the information leflets and feedback from other users