Patients Like Me, based in Cambridge, is an online patient community that generates data for researchers and insurers – a true creature of the information age.

PatientsLikeMe is the first and only online data-sharing platform for people with life-changing conditions. Our groundbreaking Openness Philosophy — which promotes the open sharing of symptom, treatment and outcome data — benefits both patients and the healthcare industry in new and dramatic ways. We believe it’s the key to improving medical care, accelerating research and bringing new and effective treatments to market in record time.

With more than 69,000 patient members across twelve disease communities, PatientsLikeMe allows patients to see what interventions are working for thousands of others. This unrivaled volume of data improves the lives of patients by informing treatment decisions, enhancing patient-doctor communication and creating new knowledge based on real-world experiences. Our forum is also where patients can get answers, advice and support from patients like them.

The company offers users regular newsletters via a blog. This week’s asks: What obstacles have you faced and overcome this year?