In a previous post I wrote about how a San Francisco start-up, Truth on Call, has a a service that lets people text questions to physicians then collects the answers. That’s one obvious way that technology is providing medical care to people who don’t have the time or means to see a doctor right then. But beyond the strictly medical component, the internet allows people who are housebound due to illnesses and chronic medical conditions to create online communities, as this New York Times story details in this story based on a Pew report:

People fighting chronic illnesses are less likely than others to have Internet access, but once online they are more likely to blog or participate in online discussions about health problems, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the California HealthCare Foundation.
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Ever wished that visiting a doctor was as easy as sending a text message?

An in-person consultation will always be best for some ailments, but sometimes it isn’t feasible. A San Francisco start-up, Truth on Call, has rolled out a service that lets people text questions to physicians, then collects the answers.

It’s not cheap — $50 to get a reply from one doctor, with the responding doctor receiving 10 and the rest covering text messaging fees and payment to Truth on Call.  And they foresee the uses as going far beyond just patient and doctor. The New York Times has more:
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