WellNet debuts social networking site for healthcare professionals

WASHINGTON Call it the medical profession’s answer to Facebook and MySpace, albeit without embarrassing photos and strange friend requests.

The Washington Post reports that Bethesda, Md.-based WellNet Healthcare has set up Point to Point Healthcare, a social networking Web site for doctors, pharmacists and insurers.

The service allows patients to schedule appointments online and rate general practitioners, while medical professionals can communicate with each other about patients’ medical and pharmacy information. A beta version of the system will include WellNet clients such as Kiplinger Washington Editors, Dewberry and Peterson Cos.

In order for the new service to work, the Post reported, WellNet must persuade its network of 300,000 primary-care doctors to use it.

Other companies have set up similar online medical record services, including Google Health and Microsoft’s HealthVault.