Is "Digital Media" up to the challenge? The Return of Medical Integrity

Board certified veterinary dermatologists fight misinformation in the medical community through the creation of their company, Canine Skin Solutions.

Mount Pleasant, SC - May 18, 2015 - (Newswire.com)

Current surveys reveal that social media has become an increasingly prominent part of our daily lives. It is a source of entertainment, communication, relationships, and education. We share music and videos with friends.  Some are “friends” we have never met!.  We contact each other via messaging.  We share our hobbies and interests with virtual strangers.  And lastly, it has become faster and simpler to search the web for information more so than any other available source.  Is the web a credible source of medical information?  Is Facebook reliable?  How do we insure that the author of the information is trustworthy?

Digital media has become the “go to” expert for medical adviceWebMD entertains an ever-increasing volume of traffic. People are seeking information on a wide variety of topics from bladder infections to Ebola virus.  Who hasn't sought the advice of Wikipedia? The simple fact of the matter is that it is easy!  Veterinary medicine is following in the digital footsteps of human medicine.  This digital access to medical information has the capability to create an “educated consumer”…..but does it?

The current concern is not whether this information should be available.  Of course it should!  Rather, can we trust this information?  Does digital media provide credible, reliable, and trustworthy medical information?  Unfortunately, all too often, the answer is a resounding NO.  The reader is at the mercy of these “so-called experts”. 

We want the miracle cure!  How many of us have considered making that call for the revolutionary wrinkle cream, the lotion that cures baldness, or that magic diet pill that promises a bikini figure (with no diet or exercise) in one month?  The same process is occurring in veterinary medicine.  There are claims of tests that will diagnose allergy via a hair sample, supplements that will cure any and all diseases, as well as claims of pet foods that will either kill your dog or cure your dog’s ailments!  Each and every one of us wants the quick fix or magic potion! We think, “what if they are right?” and buy into these false claims.

As in all media outlets, the loudest and sometimes most controversial voice gets the most attention. Companies spend billions on advertising for one reason- it works! That fact does not bode well for medical integrity in the media.  Medical information is being distorted and creating confusion.  The reader/ consumer is at the mercy of the media.  How do you know if your information is trustworthy?  The Answer- know the source! 

Riverdale, NJ & Charleston, SC-March 12, 2015- “Can digital media serve as a credible source of information?”  Two veterinary dermatologists are answering this question with a resounding YES and meeting the challenge within the realm of their specialty.  The launch of the website www.HealthySkin4Dogs.com signals the return of veterinary medical integrity to digital media.  These board certified veterinary dermatologists, Dr. Karen Helton Rhodes and Dr. Terri Bonenberger, are providing a reliable platform of information in the specialty field of veterinary dermatology for pet-parents.  There are a number of sites that claim to be “experts” but these doctors are the “true experts”.

“As dermatologists, we know how frustrated pet owners can become as they search for answers. We wanted to provide people with information they could trust since not everyone has access to a veterinary dermatologist.  One of the hardest parts of our job as veterinarians is countering false information.  Just because it is in print does not make it true!”

How can the consumer effectively decide what is true and what is not?  There is no easy answer.  Controversial sites have become more prevalent and there is no agency with the authority to oversee these groups.  To complicate matters, some of the worst offender sites are actually managed by veterinarians or MDs with questionable credentials.  Specialty medicine is now commonplace in veterinary medicine.  The consumer/reader should take advantage of the various specialty groups. 

The quick check for “authority”: Look for these letters -> DACV__

The Veterinary Specialty Board recognizes experts by assigning a specific suffix for example, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Dermatology (DACVD) or Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgery (DACVS), and so on. Terms like Academy or Board are not recognized specialists.  These “College” specialists are your credible source of information!

Restoration of medical integrity in the specialty of dermatology:

Drs. Helton Rhodes & Bonenberger, both DACVD, have developed an educational website and post weekly blogs. The site www.HealthySkin4Dogs.com has a “symptom checker” that allows the pet owner to search through photos coupled with clinical information.  There is a resource tab that contains an entire library of information.  Dermatology is a “visual specialty” and the website does not fall short of photos.   The doctors have also developed the following to augment their new website:

Facebook.com/ CanineSkinSolutionsInc. with daily photos & dermatology tips

Facebook group (Canine Skin Solutions Group) with interactive conversation

Twitter.com @ CanineSkin

Instagram.com@CanineSkinSolutions

Newsletter for email members to keep abreast of current information

Pet parents now have a reliable resource available at their fingertips!

For additional information on Canine Skin Solutions Products or educational resources please visit www.HealthySkin4Dogs.com. Dr. Karen Helton Rhodes and Dr. Terri Bonenberger are also available for interviews on dog skin conditions and current therapeutic options. Please contact us at 208-996-DOGS or support@healthyskin4dogs.com.

Bios:

Dr. Helton Rhodes practices as a board certified veterinary dermatologist in the tri-state region.  Her dermatology training started at the Animal Medical Center in NYC as an intern and dermatology resident.  She stayed in New York as head of the department of dermatology at The Animal Medical Center for 13 years.  While at the AMC, she also held the position of Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at New York University Hospital. She then moved her practice across the river and opened Riverdale Veterinary Dermatology in northern New Jersey. She was the recipient of the Merit Award from the VMA of NYC, the Clendenin J. Ryan teaching award, and is listed as one of the “Best Veterinarians in New York” by New York Magazine.  She continues to lecture both nationally and abroad and has authored numerous refereed veterinary medical journal articles, research abstracts, and textbook chapters. Dr. Helton-Rhodes’ most current textbook is “The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult- Clinical Companion in Small Animal Dermatology” which is published in 7 languages. 

Her most recent venture is the development of a new company, Canine Skin Solutions, Inc., with partner and fellow dermatologist, Dr. Terri Bonenberger.  They have designed an informational website (www.HealthySkin4Dogs.com) for pet owners and formulated a novel skin-care line of topical products for pets.  They also have an educational Facebook page and interactive group for Canine Skin Solutions, Inc.   Drs. Bonenberger and Rhodes are doing their small part to promote veterinary dermatology via social media and a trustworthy website for pet parents.  Dr. Helton Rhodes is also a council member for the Veterinary Council for Breed Stewardship (www.VETcbs.com).

Dr. Terri Bonenberger has practiced as a board certified veterinary dermatologist since 2000. She is a proud graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and completed her residency training and clinical fellowship at the University of California, Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. Bonenberger received recognition from Westchester Magazine as "Best of the Best in the County Veterinary Care" in 2011.  She has authored articles and book chapters in the field of veterinary dermatology and lectures frequently to veterinarians both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Bonenberger enjoys private clinical practice and working with pet owners in the treatment of skin disease to allow their pets to live a more comfortable and healthy life.   Her areas of expertise and interest include: allergic skin disease, ear diseases, keratinization disorders, endocrine diseases, auto-immune skin diseases, metabolic skin diseases, hereditary disorders, and cutaneous infectious disease (parasitic, bacterial and fungal diseases).  She currently practices in Charleston, South Carolina and is an active member of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) and the International Society of Veterinary Dermatopathology.​



Contact Info:
Canine Skin Solutions
Suite 1101 #130 1440 Ben Sawyer Boulevard
Mount Pleasant
SC 29464
United States

Press Contact:
Karen Rhodes
208-996-DOGS (3647)

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Original Source: Is "Digital Media" up to the challenge? The Return of Medical Integrity
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