Announcing Research1st.com: New website & blog dedicated to CFS research

This morning the CFIDS Association of America launches the Research1st.com website (http://www.research1st.com), which is intended to become a one-stop shop for the most current and reliable information about CFS research being conducted by top-flight scientists worldwide.

"There is exciting biomedical research underway that gives us reason to hope for improvements in diagnosis, treatment and, ultimately, a cure," said Association President & CEO Kimberly McCleary. "We're firmly focused on the insights we gain in the search for definitive answers to achieve a future in which the life-altering disability, stigma and isolation of CFS no longer exist."

The new Research1st.com website includes a section on current research (http://www.research1st.com/current-cfs-research/) and another on research findings from completed studies (http://www.research1st.com/promising-cfs-research-findings/). A section on media coverage (http://www.research1st.com/media-coverage-about-cfs-research/) makes it easy to track how the media reports on studies and evolving scientific understanding of CFS. Research1st.com also features a moderated blog (http://www.research1st.com/cfs-blog/) at which comments by medical professionals, researchers and members of the community are welcomed. We invite you to join the discussion!

In a web survey conducted last month, 1,444 respondents, including patients, caregivers and health care professionals, provided information about how they use the internet to obtain information about CFS. 87.5 percent reported spending one to five hours per week in search of information about CFS; 82 percent said that it was important to have a medical or scientific source for content. Only 36 percent were satisfied with the quantity and quality of online information about CFS. "The need for more high-quality, up-to-date content about current research was demonstrated by these survey results," McCleary stated. "Research1st.com will help meet those needs."

To get the site started, we've posted research-related material from the past couple of years, along with information about the Association's shift to a more narrowly focused research-driven mission. We will continue adding relevant historical information, and we will keep you up-to-date with new information as studies are published. A regular feature will provide "picks" from experts for resources, articles, books and websites that inform about trends in science, medicine and CFS. That post will appear on the 5th, 15th and 25th of each month. Visitors can subscribe to the Research1st blog to get updates by email.

The site also includes various means of searching content to aid you in locating material of greatest interest to you. There is a traditional "Search" function posted, and you can also click on the blog's "Tag Cloud" to find all the articles about that topic. You can sort blog posts by author or by subject by clicking on those words at the top of the post. Research1st.com complements our main website (www.cfids.org), Facebook page and enewsletter, CFIDSLink.

A press release about Research1st.com distributed today will draw attention to the breadth of validating research. We hope you will visit Research1st.com often, subscribe to the blog, and join the moderated discussion to make this site a vibrant community. Please share your feedback about how we can make this new resource even more valuable

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• CFS
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• ME/CFS
• CFS/ME
• myalgic encephalomyelitis
• CFS research
• CFIDS Association

[RyuBlade1980]

Thank you!!!