Maps and Location
- Why should I share my city, state and country with PatientsLikeMe?
- Why would I want to see PatientsLikeMe members near me?
- Can PatientsLikeMe members see my street address?
- Then why do you ask for my zip code?
- Why does PatientsLikeMe want to know where I am?
- What kind of research will PatientsLikeMe do with my location?
Why should I share my city, state and country with PatientsLikeMe?
Adding your city and state information to your profile enables you and others members to benefit from several useful features. Sharing your location allows you to search for other patients by location, treatment or symptom and then map these features by selecting “Map Results” from the top right hand of the results page. Knowing where members are located can also contribute to our research efforts.
Why would I want to see PatientsLikeMe members near me?
The map feature has been very useful for members to find others near them to discuss and share information about local services or experiences that may vary by country, state or city. Patients in our MS community have used it to hold local gatherings of PLM members, and invite others to their local support groups. Parkinson’s community members use it to find other members who might be interested in attending fundraising or awareness events near them. Members in our ALS community can find others who live in their area and have specialists or clinics they recommend.
Can PatientsLikeMe members see my street address?
PatientsLikeMe does not collect or use street level address information for members. Your location on a map is determined by the city, state and country you share with us. A pin is placed wherever Google tells us is the center of your city, state, country. That usually isn't the geographic center. Usually it is the town square, a central intersection, etc. If you don't provide your city, the pin will show up in the center of your state. The map isn't very accurate, but it gives a general sense of where our members are located.
Then why do you ask for my zip code?
Zip code is really only used to help resolve conflicting data (for instance if you accidentally enter your location as "New York, New York, Russia") and some countries like Japan where geocoding works a little differently. If your zip code includes street level information, like the US zip+4 or the Canadian post code system, we strip out the street level information before using it.
Why does PatientsLikeMe want to know where I am?
We're interested in location for a variety of research purposes, but we don't like to collect data without reflecting it back to patients in some useful way, so we made the mapping feature available for members to use in a variety of ways.
What kind of research will PatientsLikeMe do with my location?
We are just beginning to explore the connections between geographic data and health in the real world, but we know geographic variation in treatments and quality of life is important to understand. Factors such as weather, natural disasters, proximity to clinics and disease specialists and laws that vary by state and country, etc. can have big impacts on health outcomes. We hope to be able to use geographic data to explore these connections.
Need more help? Email support@patientslikeme.com