First update of the March 23 review. Contains all new initiatives reported in the period March 23 – April 16.

1. CORONAVIRUS
How Doctors’ Social Networks
Fight the Pandemic
Len Starnes
Digital Healthcare Consultant
Status
16 April 2020 UPDATE 1

2. Welcome to UPDATE 1
Content in this first update includes
new initiatives reported during
the period March 23– April 16.
The eight networks featured in the
March 23 review have all been
impressively active, innovative, and
above all, fast moving in their responses
to the pandemic.
The update also includes a first
contribution from Docplexus, India.

3. What’s NEW?
DXY: Facebook initiative. What the world can learn from China’s experience
Coliquio: CovidCon conference report; insights from China, India, Korea, USA, Germany
Docplexus: First report from India’s largest network; CovidCon conference highlights
Doctors.net.uk: Doctors’ likely pharma communications preferences post pandemic
Doximity: Largest study of US physicans’ views on the covid-19 pandemic
Esanum: Covid-19 webinars now open for GPs worldwide
G-MED: Analyses of >3000 posts using qual methodology & AI-powered insights dashboard
3.com: Remote image diagnosis support for Japanese clinics; telemedicine partnership
The Rounds: Providing emotional support; managing high-risk patients; working with pharma

4. The covid-19 pandemic requires
unprecedented levels of collaboration
and knowledge sharing globally.
Doctors’ social networks are in a
unique position to do just this
This review of initiatives, started by
doctors’ social networks to help fight
the pandemic, is designed to inform
and inspire other networks which are
perhaps considering how they too can
best help.
Content will be updated regularly as
new initiatives emerge and as other
networks contribute.

5. THE NETWORKS
DXY
China
M3.com
Japan
The Rounds
Canada
Coliquio
Germany
Doctors.net.uk
UK
G-MED
Global
Doximity
USA
Esanum
Germany
Docplexus
India
NEW

6. DXY
China
World’s largest network
Over 4m members

7. In early April DXY launched the ‘DXY Open Course’ on
Facebook: What the World Can Learn from China's
Experience.’ https://www.facebook.com/DXYOpenCourse/
It comprises a special series of videos on covid-19
diagnosis and treatment, inviting physicians worldwide
to share front-line clinical experiences.
Lectures are given in Mandarin with English subtitles.
NEW
(continued)

8. 14 videos as of April 15
Most popular with 6.9k views:
Diagnostic and therapeutic
strategy for covid-19 in elderly
Patients
By Dr Ronglin Jiang
Zhejiang Provincial Hospital, TCM
https://www.facebook.com/111845673769357/videos/536229883699102/
NEW

9. Coliquio
Germany
Germany’s largest network
Over 190k members

10. NEW
(continued)

11. NEW
(continued)

12. NEW
(continued)

13. NEW
(continued)

14. NEW
Pia Kuss,
Senior Marketing Manager, Coliquio

15. Docplexus
India’s largest network
Almost 370,000 members
India
NEW

16. Responses from Docplexus specifically address 3 questions
Q1. Do you host a dedicated covid19 discussion forum?
Yes, we have a dedicated ‘COVID-19 Updates’ page on our platform – which has
new and relevant content posted every few hours. This page includes access for
our clinicians to:
- Latest COVID-19 articles and posts, scientifically created and curated by our
experienced writers
- Case discussions and active peer-to-peer conversations around the pandemic
and means to manage the same
- LIVE COVID-19 Statistics (see following slides) – updated real-time, state-wise
with details on morbidity and
- Mortality, along with trends (see following slides)
(continued)
NEW

17. https://www.docplexus.com/covid-19 The link to the ‘open’ version of the page,
with limited content that can be browsed without logging in. But there is a lot
more content, once you log in. This open page was just to enable easy / faster
access.
NEW
(continued)

18. COVID-19 UDATES
NEW

19. COVID-19 Live Statistics: Doctors can access
LIVE COVID-19 statistics on our platform with
real-time updates on:
1. Worldwide confirmed cases
2. Total confirmed cases in India
3. State wise confirmed cases
4. Total recovered cases in India (state wise)
5. Total deaths in India (state wise)
6. COVID helpline numbers for each state and
the testing centres identified by government
for the respective state
7. Trends
NEW
(continued)

20. Almost daily, multiple webinars and panel discussions around COVID-19 online
– via expert speakers, large national clinical bodies and speciality associations
that have partnered with our platform (like IMPA, IACC, IAGES, API, NSSI, IOA
and so on): sharing patient stories, suggesting precautions, specific speciality-
orientated protocols, discussing ongoing research, treatment strategies and
other relevant information.
(continued)
Example: Multi-location panel discussion by
the Indian Medical Pharmacologists
Association (IMPA) together with Docplexus -
COVID-19 from Pharmacologists Perspective.
NEW

21. (continued)
Medical Updates: Publishing news in the form of ‘Docplexus
Health Minute’ - an effort to update our community with the
latest information on COVID-19 as well as other important
medical news, with special notes. All in less than 1.5 minutes.
NEW

22. (continued)
Daily COVID Email Digest to all our 300,000+ users: An email
with curated posts, top stories and links related to COVID-19,
plus user-interest specific academic content.
NEW

23. (continued)
CovidCon Global: Docplexus along with its international partners,
Coliquio and DocRed, hosted the largest physicians-only global
COVID-19 Web-Summit, April 11th. https://www.docplexus.com/covid-con
It allowed physicians from across the world to connect with expert HCPs from
China, US, Italy, Germany, India and South Korea, who, along with their teams,
treat COVID cases at first-hand. See highlights report following, plus separate
update from Coliquio.
NEW

24. (continued)
Q2. Do you provide data or recommendations to national
healthcare/public health authorities?
Yes! This is work-in-progress!
Docplexus has partnered with multiple national clinical associations to facilitate
peer-to-peer discussions around existing, ongoing and upcoming clinical evidence
and treatment protocols, besides encouraging best practice sharing and virtual
COVID-19 case registry on our platform.
Based on the same, our team of experts is currently in the process of drafting a
white paper as a consensus document to share with the MCI (Medical Council of
India), the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and the government of India.
It will be completed very soon and thus, facilitate recommendations and guidance
for COVID-19 management ahead.
NEW

25. (continued)
Q3. How do you see the role of your network during the next 6 months?
- With the current lockdown in India (set to extend further) and social distancing
expected as the norm over the next few months, clinical education, research and
patient management will have to move to online channels.
- Our mission has always been to empower our physicians towards better patient
outcomes. With our rich content (new content pieces every few hours) and
speciality-based practical, scientific and engaging formats (articles, case studies,
CME courses, webinars, infographics, videos, forums, posts, commentaries and so
on), our user-base of over 3,70,000 clinicians in India is already far more active on
our platform and this trend is expected to surge.
- Since we are a verified physicians-only platform with strong network security and
robust privacy policies, doctors feel safe on our platform and tend to be far more
communicative and connected with us and with each other.
NEW

26. - Hence, there are 3 critical areas, where we see our role as pivotal to support our
physicians as well as the medical industry in India:
1. To educate and inform the clinicians in the most relevant, credible and accessible way
on every aspect of clinical practice, constantly
2. To enable them to contribute to research, create evidence, share knowledge and thus,
improve patient outcomes
3. To make them feel connected with their fraternity across the country and the world
- The upcoming Docplexus white paper on treatment protocols, COVID19 case registry, as
well as partnerships and online programmes with various authoritative associations and
innovative efforts on daily online medical education will be key for the next 6 months.
- Our team of 120+ dedicated professionals are working diligently around-the-clock
towards our mission to empower and support healthcare professionals in India and we
shall continue to innovate and find new methods to be their ‘virus-free’ partner for a
lifetime!
NEW

27. NEW
Highlights: COVIDCon Global, April 11th
Almost 4500 physicians participated and nearly 300 questions
were posed during the two hours of the conference.
In terms of Indian speakers, we had two esteemed clinicians with
us, Dr D J Christopher and Dr Om Shrivastav, who have both been
treating COVID19 patients first hand. Both are also involved in
different aspects of public health policy making in India.
This WebSummit in India was able to garner nearly 1800 viewing
clinicians, with great engagement and rave feedback.
(continued)

28. NEW
Speakers
(continued)

29. NEW
COVIDCon comprised two rounds: first with pre-selected questions
(based on prior submissions) and second with live questions.
Numerous points were addressed. Examples:
- The significance of lockdown and social distancing
- The differences in viral curve between countries, possible reasons
- New treatment methods and approaches
- How can hospital teams protect themselves
- Comparisons of COVID19 with SARS / MERS and other fatal
viral diseases
(continued)

30. NEW
- Why the spread has been faster in some areas such as New York
and Italy
- Innovations in testing, social distancing, lockdown methods,
PPE management, healthcare practices, and remote patient
management across the world
- Myths around ventilators, vaccines, contagiousness and multiple
management modalities
- Opinions on current and future scenarios
As a surgeon, I moderated the event along with my German
colleague Kai from Coliquio. It was a great experience, interacting
with the experts and cross questioning them!
Dr Mukesh Parmar
CEO, Docplexus

31. Doctors.net.uk
UK’s largest network
Over 236k members
UK

32. NEW

33. NEW
(continued)

34. NEW
(continued)

35. NEW
(continued)

36. NEW
(continued)

37. NEW
(continued)

38. NEW
(continued)

39. NEW
(continued)

40. NEW

41. Doximity
USA
USA’s largest network
Over 1m members

42. https://www.doximity.com/press_releases/covid_survey_report (continued)
NEW

43. https://www.doximity.com/press_releases/covid_survey_report (continued)
NEW

44. https://www.doximity.com/press_releases/covid_survey_report (continued)
NEW

45. https://www.doximity.com/press_releases/covid_survey_report (continued)
NEW

46. https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.doximity.com/press/covid_survey_report.pdf
Full report here:
NEW

47. Esanum
Germany, Austria,
France, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland, UK

48. Most importantly, we have transformed our regional GP live events,
where we usually see over 2,500 attendees at 10 events throughout
Germany, into a bi-weekly CME-certified COVID-19 expert discussion
webinar. Doctors provide their perspectives on disease implications,
practical advice, and best practices, whilst taking many questions from
webinar participants.
We have now also invited doctors from around the world to join the
live webinars via Skype or Zoom. During the last webinar we had
participation by four expert guests: a GP, a pulmonologist, an MD for
infectious diseases, and additionally (Skyped in) the head of the ICU in
Lodi, Italy, the first COVID-19 hit hospital in Italy.
(continued)
NEW

49. Live global webinar:
COVID-19 in General Practice
We logged over 4,300 participating
doctors - a record for us which we are really
proud of.
The next webinar is on Wednesday April 15
at 14:00 CET.
Tom Renneberg
CEO, Esanum
esanum.de/live
NEW

50. G-MED
Largest global network
Over 1m members
From over 120 countries
Global

51. NEW

52. During the last few weeks, physicians from all over the world
have posted on G-Med more than 3,000 discussion posts and
items about COVID-19 (see examples following), showing again
the true value of robust, global and organic data from our
community.
G-Med brings that knowledge back to the global medical
community by analyzing this data in two major ways, thus
helping to enhance clinical decisions:
Qualitative analysis
G-Med and Ipsos are working together to bring a regular pulse
on what physicians around the globe are discussing about
COVID-19 through social data analytics and medical
crowdsourcing information. Data is released on a regular basis (3
waves already released and more to come). To keep up to date,
you can bookmark this page : https://lnkd.in/g7HVGcm
NEW
(continued)

53. AI-powered dashboard using Machine Learning (ML)
and Natural Language Processing (NLP)
G-Med has created, together with Sisensa, a one-of-a-kind,
interactive, multilayer, global insights dashboard.
This dashboard uses the robust COVID-19 discussions on
G-Med and provides new and deeper knowledge dimensions.
That platform allows medical teams, institutes and
governments to gain knowledge quickly and implement it
according to their needs.
G-Med has made its data widely available, and started
collaborating with various entities: governments, technology
programmes and COVID-19- related hackathons.
NEW
(continued)

54. NEW
Partial screen shot from the AI-powered dashboard showing medical condition
and treatment by sentiment (filtered by date range)
(continued)

55. NEW
(continued)
Examples of organic posts on G-Med
1. Case reports:
• GI only presentation of Covid-19 infection?
• Vasculitis Covid-19
• Main complaint, acute anosmia and loss of taste 3 days
ago, no fever, no cold
• Male, on suspicion of COVID-19, recently diabetes
mellitus diagnosis without treatment - CT attached
• Compromise patient with a hematologic malignancy with
bilateral infiltrates
• Patient in intensive care without co-morbidities, 38,
confirmed for coronavirus with rapid deterioration,
pneumonia with image of frosted glass
• Young female with dry cough, sore throat, no fever, no
dyspnea, no close contact with ill patients

56. NEW
(continued)
2. Medication recommendations:
• Favipiravir, binds COVID-2 with 2700 times more binding energy
• Acetaminofen or naproxen? Which one is better?
• Hydroxychloroquine/zithromycin early treatment
• Ivermectin kills COVID-19 in 48 hours?
• Nitric oxide maybe beneficial in controlling viral replication
• N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC): Any efficacy in prevention or treatment?
• Acyclovir and COVID-19: Anybody knows about it?
• Alcohol inhalation to kill CoVid virus attacking the lungs
• Chloroquine in children?
• Choloroquine plus lopinavir/ritonavir are being used in selected
situations, but are they being given simultaneously or is it either or?

57. NEW
(continued)
2. Medication recommendations:
• Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is anti-bacterial and anti-viral. It inhibits
other envelope viruses including coronavirus for bronchitis
• Dipyridamole, for COVID-19 patients with coagulation dysfunction
• Imunovir: Medication capable of improving health
• Plaquenil as treatment for COVID?
• Melatonin for treating COVID-19?
• Ibuprofen and Corona: What's the recommendation?
• Colloidal silver in inhalation as a prophylaxis or treatment
• Traditional Chinese medicine is used in Wuhan

58. NEW
(continued)
3. Best practices and general discussion:
• Mechanical ventilation in the ICU: What percentage survived?
• DON'T scare the young and healthy!
• BCG vaccination policy and reduced Covid-19 mortality?
• At what point must we phase out Social Distancing’ measures?
• ARDS and COVID-19. Is it iatrogenic?
• Lack of α1-ΑΤ and COVID-19 severity?
• Rheumatoid arthritis and hydroxychloroquine: possible prophylaxis
• Steroids and antihistamines, how to proceed?
• Unregulated Interlukin6 in Covid-19
• JAK inhibitors may prevent cytokine storm presented in patients
• Hypertension and Covid-19 severity
• Inhalers in dyspnea in patients who are not asthmatic...
• Increase in viral load in the presence of several patients?

59. NEW
(continued)
3. Best practices and general discussion:
• Palliative care: data about the needs of those patients dying?
• Influenza pandemic 1918-1919. NY, Paris, Berlin, London...
• Pain, lupus and anti-inflammatories: recommendations?
• Actual number of infected individuals might be 4 times higher
• Patients with COVID-19 and diabetes
• Anosmia and dysgeusia
• Transmission of coronavirus by nebulizer: a serious risk...
• Clinical presentation of COVID-19 in children?
• COVID19 in hemodialysis centers...
• Corona and the refugees in Greece, SOS Moria...

60. NEW
4. Masks and protection gear:
• Poly-L-lysine for spraying respiratory masks?
• Is it possible to re-sterilize ffp2, N95 masks?
• Equipo de proteccion personal para trabajadores
de la salud
• Could we flatten the curve even with homemade
cloth masks/scarves/bandanas for everyone?
Ilan Ben Ezri
CEO, G-MED

61. M3.com
Japan’s largest network
Over 280k HCPs members
Over 160K pharmacist members
Japan

62. https://corporate.m3.com/en/ir/20200331_02/CoronaAI_20200331_E.pdf
NEW
(continued)

63. https://corporate.m3.com/en/ir/20200331_02/CoronaAI_20200331_E.pdf
NEW
(continued)

64. https://corporate.m3.com/en/ir/20200401_01/LINEHC_Extension_E.pdf
NEW
(continued)

65. https://corporate.m3.com/en/ir/20200401_01/LINEHC_Extension_E.pdf
NEW
(continued)

66. https://corporate.m3.com/en/ir/20200401_01/LINEHC_Extension_E.pdf
NEW

67. The Rounds
Canada’s largest network
Over 20k members
+
Over 13k Canadian pharmacists &
over 15K US pharmacists on QID.io, a
pharmacist-only social network
Canada

68. NEW
1. The Rounds COVID-19 Community has grown to over 2,500 engaged HCPs in
just 2 weeks as the structure of the community has been built out.
We are now working with several medical associations, medical experts and our
own medical advisors to fully support the participating HCPs.
COVID-19 specific information and resources are evolving and critical to the
community to plank the curve. We’ve witnessed another important aspect:
bringing emotional and psychological support to HCPs during this pandemic. We
are all witnessing the toll our front-line healthcare workers are experiencing and
we’re witnessing peer support in our network. Additionally, medical associations
offer similar services, and our team is now mobilizing initiatives to ensure
members have a safe place to connect with experts, tools and resources when
they need it most. We will be initiating awareness campaigns throughout North
America beginning very shortly to ensure that thousands of additional HCPs can
join our free, secure HCP network on The Rounds.
(continued)

69. 2. Beyond COVID-19 – The transfer of knowledge is paramount
at this time. High-risk patients that need ongoing healthcare
support and proper management cannot be forgotten. The
Rounds members are looking for information across therapeutic
areas to determine how best to support their patients, often
through telehealth, phone or video chat.
Our members are sharing their experiences and seeking
guidance from experts on managing chronic conditions remotely
or when to encourage a patient to seek physical medical
attention before they put themselves at risk of serious
complications due to fear of visiting a hospital or medical clinic.
The Rounds is actively working with experts to lead this
collaboration.
NEW
(continued)

70. 3. The Rounds has worked successfully with the
pharmaceutical industry to provide our members with
compliant brand awareness campaigns and learning
activities for several years. In the current environment
we’ve had to modify our sponsored content with our
industry partners.
We personally reached out to all of our customers and
have experienced a positive and pro-active willingness to
adapt, or pause, campaigns to align with the needs of the
members on The Rounds and QID.
NEW
(continued)

71. QID (QID.io), our network for pharmacists, is facilitating a
major response to front-line healthcare workers in Canada and
the US. As of April 1st, over 50% of Canadian hospital
pharmacists are now active on the network to learn, share and
discuss with their peers.
We are extending the Canadian network to all community
pharmacists across Canada through provincial pharmacy
associations. Partnerships with US pharmacists have taken hold
as we have officially launched a private community for over
4,000 health-systems pharmacists to customize a solution
specific to their needs.
Tim Rice
CEO, Boondoc Technologies
NEW

72. NEW
Since publishing the first review
March 23 the following related
posts are now online:
Conclusions and observations
https://tinyurl.com/qmr4fma
Digitally Sick podcast
https://tinyurl.com/upapcf9
NEW

73. A sincere thanks to the following for their
generous help and enthusiastic support
in developing Update 1
• Ria Carruthers, Head of Community, M3 (EU), UK
• Ilan Ben Ezri, CEO, G-MED, Israel
• Mark Garlinghouse, Strategy Consultant to DXY, Singapore
• Pia Kuss, Senior Marketing Manager, Coliquio, Germany
• Mukesh Parmar, CEO, Docplexus, India
• Tom Renneberg, CEO, Esanum, Germany
• Tim Rice, CEO, Boondoc Technologies Inc, Canada
• Kate White, Business Insights Director,
Communications, M3 (EU), UK

74. lenstarnes@gmail.com
T: + 49 30 781 5513
M: + 49 172 1788253
Skype: lenstarnes
www.linkedin.com/in/lenstarnes
www.twitter.com/lenstarnes
www.slideshare.net/lenstarnes
Len Starnes
Len Starnes Digital Healthcare
Research and Consulting