I need your help

[Prickle Thistle]

KG:  every Thursday afternoon my Physical Therapist closes down his office to pound the streets visiting hospitals and doctor surgery to further market his office practice and services - he's the Director of a large PT service (Star Therapy).  Have you thought about contacting the larger PT services and offering this website as potential additional marketing.  Also how about reaching out to all the users and asking them for which PT service they use and add an additional link for new room users like myself to search for doctors and PT in their area...  how many users use this room on a daily basis - that's a heavy audience to market the docs and pt services too...  just a thought. 

Good luck! 

FYI - I'm personally opposed for the moment to a fee - even with great Health Benefits the costs still mount up with - The Doctor's... MRI's... Surgery... PT... Pain Meds... Anestesiology... and Hospitals additional fees...

Max.

[ski bum]

I second the idea of suggesting the site to PT clinics.  The sort of question/answer & support offered here would help them support their patients.

One other idea:  create/sell rubber wrist bands.  Strangely, these things do make enormous amounts of money.  Perhaps the surgical companies might donate funds to get them made for you to sell.  Just as the Lance Armstrong Foundation gets its bands from Nike and the funds go entirely to the foundation.  PT firms could give them to patients if you sold them to the PT firms

Andy

[kath]

KNEEguru...you are going to be tired of hearing from me!

I just completed the first course " A method of routine diagnostic arthroscopy", and found it very interesting reading.  I would recommend that users do download the video portion for viewing...I didn't do the download, instead looked at the still pics.

One thing which would help would be to post the approximate time each section takes to complete.  To be honest, when I read the intro and signed into the course, I had no idea if the course would take me 15 minutes or 15 days to complete!   Perhaps it is mentioned somewhere, but if so, I didn't see it.  I'm not likely to get into something which would take me days to complete...so the fact that the course is comprehensive, yet won't take all day to complete is an instant sell to people like me.

Kath

[The KNEEguru]

KNEEguru...how about a newsflash in red at the top of the Bulletin Board page...maybe in the News Box, or beside the User info? 

Good idea. I keep forgetting about that box. Will do. Thanks.

[The KNEEguru]

 I think you need to post a request under each topic letting people know that you could use a donation.  Make it so that those of us that use this site every day can't miss it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I popped a notice in the news box at the top.
KNEEguru

[The KNEEguru]

KNEEguru...how about a newsflash in red at the top of the Bulletin Board page...

Please teach me how to do your clever red flashing messages.KNEEguru

[The KNEEguru]

One thing other sites do is to have a fee for posting but no fee for reading.  I have mixed feelings about that--one of the things that makes this site so valuable is the interchange between folks.

Yes, that is the conclusion we came to before - that the people who need to ask questions are often the very people whose pockets are hurting because of their medical bills!

KNEEguru

[The KNEEguru]

As part of your store/bookstore, would you consider posting reprints of the articles that everyone cites here--available for download for a fee (obviously cleared for copyright stuff)?  E.g. the Millet, Eakin etc articles on arthrofibrous, others for other conditions.  Perhaps charge a fee for the exercise program as well (downloadable in a booklet form)--this is a great resource, already constructed--and I would be willing to pay for it.

Good idea. The new store allows book sales and software downloads.

KNEEguru

[Janet]

Dear KneeGuru:

I have been coming to this site for four years. Now I just answer posts where I think I could be helpful, but don't posts questions of my own very often. When I first started coming to the site, I read all the stuff on your website. But now the forum is in my "favorites" file and I never visit other parts of your site. There are probably others like me. I didn't know you had a "donate" link or a section of classes. I agree that you maybe you need to add something at the TOP of the forum page with visible links to these (and any other) revenue-producing areas. I hardly ever scroll all the way down to the bottom of the forum home page, so I think the top of the page would definitely be more noticeable.

This is a great website and has helped so many over the years. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for donations, but I'd hate to see a fee associated with its use.

Good luck!
Janet

[The KNEEguru]

As for the courses:  I look into this 3 months ago--but got the idea that it was over (from reading the available email messages).  It wasn't clear, despite the introduction, that anyone (e.g you or the OS who was helping) would still be 'there.' 

The first course was originally on ordinary web pages - they looked good but were inflexible. The forum I originally offered was the same design as this one. But I found a 'pedagogy' system for online learning which was modular and flexible, and carried the course over to this - in time the courses will 'ripen' and use fully the flexibility this newer system offers. So the first course did finish, but then it started again in a different guise! Now it is less intensive of my time and that of the tutor, but we are alerted to any forum posts and can respond quickly if needed.

KNEEguru

[The KNEEguru]

I just completed the first course. One thing which would help would be to post the approximate time each section takes to complete.  To be honest, when I read the intro and signed into the course, I had no idea if the course would take me 15 minutes or 15 days to complete!   Perhaps it is mentioned somewhere, but if so, I didn't see it.  I'm not likely to get into something which would take me days to complete...

Thank you. I wil do that.
KNEEguru

[The KNEEguru]

Have you thought about contacting the larger PT services and offering this website as potential additional marketing.  Also how about reaching out to all the users and asking them for which PT service they use and add an additional link for new room users like myself to search for doctors and PT in their area... 

Now I have to make a confession. I hate raising invoices and chasing payments!  So I am trying to find systems where I put the effort in just once and then the payment thinggie is automated and just turns up in the bank or the PayPal account. Like courses, downloads, the new shop. I need to work out a system for PTs to put up and maintain their own page, which self-destructs if they fail to respond to an automated payment reminder email. Or something like that. Otherwise I agree with you completely.
KNEEguru

[The KNEEguru]

create/sell rubber wrist bands.

I will look into this again, but need a CafePress-type arrangement to automate the production and delivery.
KNEEguru

[Softball_Player00]

Dear Kneeguru,
I think that it would be saddening if people had to pay a fee to use the website. I'm only 17 and don't exactly have a credit card on hand. If you asked people to pay a fee, I think it would drive away the young people like myself. Also, what about the people who can't afford numerous doc visits? This site probably helps them out a lot and saves them money when they don't have a lot to play around with. It would be bad for them. Donations would be good though.
Just a thought
S-ball Girl

[The KNEEguru]

I think that it would be saddening if people had to pay a fee to use the website. I'm only 17

Yes, I agree. That's why I am trying to wrap commercial elements around the site that avoid a direct sponsor, but allow site costs to be covered.

KNEEguru