While many clinicians are wary of medical information spread via social media, a recent trend has emerged to help patients suffering from rare diseases. For example, patients suffering from a condition dubbed the "no-burp syndrome," or retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (RCPD). Dr. Sunil Verma, director of the UCI Health University Voice and Swallowing Center, was recently featured in The Washington Post to talk about the impact sites like Reddit have had on clinical care. Patients suffering from RCPD have found community, and often crucial resources, from online discussions.

"This article highlights how medicine has changed and how patients find out about new health conditions," Verma said. "As physicians we need to embrace this new way patients learn and spread information."