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Anonymous, 11 Dec 2007

Hi All

At the moment we are piloting the HX, as you know. We really need feedback so if you like you can add it to this discussion forum.

Questions, suggestions, criticism, concerns, praise - we want it all.
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Anonymous, 11 Dec 2007

I think the Health Exchange is a fantastic idea. It is like a Facebook with heart.

I see myself differently now I have done a chart. I was a bit shocked to find that I am much less confident than I thought I was. But at least now I can do something about it.

I'm going to tell other people about this. I hope the Uni keeps this going.
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Anonymous, 15 Dec 2007

Hi Jenny...it is good isn't it. Kind of like talking to a friend. I really agree with your 'facebook with heart comment'. Hope all's well. Best wishes, Roger
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Anonymous, 13 Dec 2007

Pretty easy to use - only had to use help function once (Didn't take the tour). Took a bit to find the "Continue" at the bottom of the page....but the flashing cursor alerted me....keep that.
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Anonymous, 15 Dec 2007

I think it has the potential to help people but I have a couple of queries/concerns;
- do the topics in the health profile reflect a certain concept of health?...eg. are libraries a health factor for everyone, what about access to ancestral lands? I may have missed it - but was there a 'spirituality' topic. I would consider spirituality to be a part of my health picture.
- what about the 'scare' factor of having too much information. I know I've googled a health concern only to be stressed out by the 'personal stories' which can be dramatic and desperate - leading me to panic about my own future. Isn't there a reason for having 'professionals' explain issues - so that it can be done in a balanced, researched, relevant way? (Although I do think there needs to be space for people actually experiencing a condition to share.)

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Anonymous, 15 Dec 2007

Hi Emma

Many thanks for these comments, really appreciated.

I agree about the topic list - to some extent it is bound to be a bit arbitrary. I like the idea about spirituality - someone else mentioned this recently too.

There is definitely room for the professionals to explain the basics in a calm and balanced way.

At the moment we are piloting for functionality. When we launch - we hope in January - we want about 50 situations students may experience, we will review the items in the foundations, and we will add 'official advice'. We are talking with Boots plc about the latter - so watch this space.

Can I ask - how did it make you feel when you set out your health status? For some people it can be quite a powerful experience.

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Anonymous, 16 Dec 2007

I did find it rewarding completing my health status - it made me thoroughly think about the different areas that affect my well-being. I have battled with depression since my late teenage years and felt 'cheerfully sheepish' when I compared my results and found that my hope, sense of security and self esteem levels were even above average. This reflects the settled year I have spent on effective medication but also perhaps reveals my high expectations of life and demanding ideas about how I should experience it. I feel that having a 'track record' of personal health status would have been a huge help to me during my attempts to find a treatment for my depression. I often tried to keep my own - in the form of journals or wall charts - in the hope of tracing down a pattern in my moods - seasonal/cyclical etc, but never succeeded in creating a record I felt justified my experiences. ...or did, and then felt scared (when I was feeling better) about the 'down-times' I'd had. I also struggled to keep track of which medications I tried and for how long - often coming on and off them alone. I would use a tool like the Health Exchange to record personal observations about my health in periods of difficulty. I am in two minds about using it to share with others. Firstly there is the issue of 'becoming public' - for the same reason I don't keep a 'my space' I feel uncomfortable about people checking up on me (for whatever benevolent reasons.) Obviously illnesses like depression can carry a stigma that may affect work etc...I am not particularly bothered by that (although no longer shoot possums having been denied a gun licence) ..but still feel that health issues are something to be discussed within the confines of home and practitioner's clinics (a traditional idea perhaps.) My opinions about this have also been influenced by my personal experiences seeking advice or information from others. I found chat rooms on depression unhelpful and am concerned that people experiencing a situation of ill mental health are not in the best position to judge whether particular relationships may be harmful or beneficial to them. I would love to listen to other people's experiences with depression but (unfortunately, and perhaps narrow-mindedly) I want those people to be safe, honest, insightful, and open-minded people. I have found books fantastic for this as I can share in someone's deep explanation of something - writing good bits down that I can refer back to...and yet when I come across a bad one, a disappointing one, I only need to close the cover and return it to the library. No strings attached. Could it ever be that easy to extricate yourself from someone you've developed a relationship with while in a vulnerable condition when it has not turned out the way you had hoped it would?
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Anonymous, 16 Dec 2007

Thank you for those comments Emma. They are extremely helpful.
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Anonymous, 24 Dec 2007

The health exchange is really interesting. I'm a young teenager and find it quite easy to navigate. I have one little criticism. Other forums, Facebook, Bebo etc only display your christian name when you're talking to other people. Maybe the Heath Exchange could do this too?
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Anonymous, 25 Dec 2007

Hi Rosa

Thanks! You have a good point. What if we made it optional to show either first name or full name?

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Anonymous, 10 Feb 2008

Yes...the christian name.....but it ml;ooks like you've already done it. Great. Rosa
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Anonymous, 11 Dec 2007

Yeah, I like this. I think it will be better once we have lots of people on it but the potential is there isn't it?

Not sure that I have any suggestions to improve it.
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Anonymous, 15 Dec 2007

It's great. I really found myself taking time (and I rarely get a chance to) to consider things. It's clear that an amazing amout of thought has gone into HX and, moreover, care. One subscriber described HX as 'facebook with heart' and I certainly agree with that.
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Anonymous, 7 Apr 2008

Not convinced at all....how much does this system cost?

A free piece of software could of been used to do exactly the same job.
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Anonymous, 9 Apr 2008

Hi

1) It is free
2) What job do you think it is doing?

:)
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