With all of the debates around Healthcare reform in Washington, D.C. and very little action emerging from the hill, it would appear as if others are beginning to take matters into their own hands. In doing so, a break from traditional practices is emerging pulling from various sources new and unique ideas towards including indivuals as part of the solution and less as part of the problem.

With the plan put forth by the Obama Administration, many have referred to it as "Socialized Medicine." It seems the on-line medical powerhouse WebMD is turning towards "Social Medicine" with its deployent of the WebMD Health Exchange. Taking a page from the likes of Facebook and others, WebMD looks to tap into not just the scientific elements of medicine, but also the experiential elements based on its estimated 60 million monthly users providing valuable information based on real-world ailments first hand.

It is not just about what WebMD intends to get out of it. It also brings the added benefit of allowing individuals with similar diagnosis and ailments to connect with others who are either going through the same issues or have been through them and can provide a level of advice and support not found in merely reading a white-paper or published article about an ailment. When combined with the numerous professional medical specialists and advocacy groups alreay partnering with WebMD, you can quickly see how the reality void of first hand experience can be quickly filled by peers contributing to the overall conversation.

This is the age of information and with more resources available on-line at someone's disposal, the more comfort they may gain from at least understanding what is going on with thier bodies. The main difference with the new WebMD Health Exchange is, now you truly don't have to feel alone. For more information on the WebMD Health Exchange, head to http://exchange.webmd.com.