Today we’ve added a guest book function, designed so that people can leave their impressions about OncTalk. The page is reached by pressing on the Guest Book link at the bottom of the list in the column on the left, or through this link
Why have this? Since starting the site, it’s been very rewarding for me to read people’s enthusiastic responses to this site. Before I started OncTalk, I wasn’t sure that what is available here would be considered valuable alongside everything else that is out there on the web and elsewhere. Clearly, many people do find the content here to be helpful and not redundant with everything else out there.
As I’ve mentioned in a recent prior post, I’m in the process of starting a non-profit company dedicated to cancer education, which would include not just this type of content but additional features. Once it’s officially formed, we’ll be requesting grant support, and it can only help to be able to demonstrate that there are members using OncTalk who find it valuable. It will be helpful to collect comments from the Guest Book, a central location, to illustrate the benefit that the cancer education content offered here can serve.
At the same time, though, I don’t think I’ve discovered every way to provide useful information to people, and I hope people will be inclined to share any constructive suggestions for how to improve this site and/or integrate new features into the new cancer education enterprise.
Please check out the Guest Book and leave a comment.
-Dr. West
posted by Dr. West @ 5:47 pm link to this post
Loading ...
June 27th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I have a suggestion, get some other oncologists to help you out with this site! You must be overwhelmed in keeping up with your profession and this site.
Best cancer site on the web, without a doubt.
Jim
June 27th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
I think that this site is absolutely wonderful! It is so refreshing to be able to ask any question and get an honest, well-informed answer without leaving the comfort of your home.
Thank you for everything you do for us!
-Leslie
June 28th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
I just want to say to those of you responding here and on the Guest Book page, thank you for your encouragement. I know it means a great deal to me, but importantly, I believe it will demonstrate to the people deciding on what projects to support that this effort makes a real difference for people. It’s my pleasure to do work that helps, although it’ll be a lot easier for me to dedicate so much time, and to enlist other like-minded cancer specialists, with some financial support from various grants we’ll be pursuing.
-Dr. West
June 28th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Dear Dr. West,
I had an appointment with my oncologist today and I must say that it was a wonderful 2-way conversation simply because I was well versed having connected to your web site. I can’t thank you enough for the time, not only to share in your knowledge of the research going on in the world (!), but in responding to our questions as quickly as you do. I am happy to share with everyone in wishing you good luck in getting the non-profit up and going. We need it.
Thanks again.
Vikki Kramer
June 28th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Dr. West,
You have created a great site offering well researched ideas and comments on a variety of topics related to lung cancer. Your advise and feedback have helped me and many others evaluate and navigate through treatment choices. Thank you, thank you and thank you!
Prem
June 29th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Thank you so much Dr West for all your advice and support - this website is amazing and we have nothing like this in UK where an Oncologist will dedicate his spare time to something like this. You are such a kind and generous man and for this I thank you.
Best wishes
Dawn
June 29th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
For the prospective sponsors of this site, Onctalk is an invaluable resource to many lung cancer patients and their families. This site is like no others I have found. Dr. West is comprehensive in covering basic information about lung cancer as well as providing details about the latest cutting-edge treatment and other related issues. As more and more readers catch on to this site, I would imagine it would become more difficult for Dr. West to keep up with the posts and discussion forums on a regular basis without additional help. (I don’t know how he does it now between his office hours, being on call, attending meetings, etc.)
With enough funding, perhaps information from the site can be disseminated in the form of a newsletter that can be distributed at support groups and oncologists’ offices. I think this format would be particularly helpful to those who do not have access to the internet or are not comfortable with a computer.
As for my thoughts on this site, I’ve been contemplating most of the week about what to say. I’ve come to the conclusion that there aren’t enough superlatives to describe this site and words can’t express my gratitude for Dr. West’s contribution to the lung cancer community by creating Onctalk. Suffice it to say, I agree wholeheartedly with the comments posted, since I wouldn’t be able to convey my feelings as eloquently as some of you have done.