"Go Ask Alice" – weird advice
Question:
One of the nice things about cheap and easy computer power is that it allows us to automate ignorance and carelessness. David B.
Response:
JSoest wrote: > I wonder if the folks who do the web sites form Sleepnet and the Sleep > Medicine Home Page have ever read Alice. Complaints from the "big guns" > might do some good. But as you suggest, we "grassroots folks" need to > object, too.
Good idea. Alice is more likely to listen to other doctors. Have you written to the big folks yet? I imagine the good doctors would want one and only one request to call up Alice. If anyone wants to write to Alice herself, the page is at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/healthwise/alice.html. Do a keyword search for "sleep" to find the crazy answers (and attitudes). One approach to complaining is to pick a subject and suggest a better answer for it. I believe Alice might be used to criticism, possibly TOO used to it. The service takes a lot of fire from people who object to her approach to questions about sexuality. If we write, I guess it would be important to emphasize that we’re aiming for enlightenment, not to silence anyone. However, if this doesn’t work, maybe The Sleep Well could do a turkey of the week example of misinformation about sleep! Su-Laine
Response:
Su-Laine, Yikes! I agree. Whoever is writing their sleep answers must know NOTHING about sleep except what they are maybe looking up in an outdated general medicine textbook. I wonder if the folks who do the web sites form Sleepnet and the Sleep Medicine Home Page have ever read Alice. Complaints from the "big guns" might do some good. But as you suggest, we "grassroots folks" need to object, too. Sally
Response:
I hate to be blaming people who are just trying to educate people about health matters. It seems very negative and the wrong way to go about advocacy, but here’s my beef: Columbia University has an web service called "Go Ask Alice," which dispenses free advice (some of it very good) about health, sexuality, relationships, etc. I’ve searched Alice’s archives for her advice about sleep. Does anyone out there agree that plenty of what she says about sleep is TERRIBLE? Examples: 1) Someone complains of inability to fall asleep at night (and seems to have symptoms of delayed sleep phase syndrome). Among other suggestions, Alice says "Try using an alarm clock to remind you to GO to sleep. It is very important that you get enough sleep at night to get you through the next day." ARRGGH! 2) Someone says she’s "always tired" even though she gets 8 hours of sleep per night. Alice compliments the person on making sure she gets enough sleep, without mentioning sleep disorders, or that 8 hours might not be enough. 3) A sleep apnea patient says "Although I’m much better with the CPAP I feel as though this disease is still going to kill me eventually. The CPAP seems so barbaric." Alice has NO concrete suggestions on adjusting to CPAP, and no reassurance about its effectiveness. Instead, Alice says, "Although this treatment has also helped many people, some cannot tolerate this method, and may benefit from oral devices that change the position of mouth structures during sleep." And I can’t find an example anywhere where she recommends a visit to a sleep specialist. Of course, when asked "What are the symptoms of mental illness?" Alice lists insomnia, hypersomnia, and sleep talking. I’ve written to Alice, pointing out some of these things, but I haven’t heard back. I imagine: IF A LOT OF US WRITE, maybe she’ll change the way she deals with questions about sleep and fatigue. Go Ask Alice is at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/healthwise/alice.html. What do you all think? Su-Laine http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/1123/dsps.html
