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What can the lay community do about informing the mediacl community about
celiac disease.

1.  If you have a support group and have identified an interested Dr or
even one who was helpful or even listed well: invite he/she to liase with
your group.  Provide the MD with information from your own sources.  If
you have a big group buy the MD a copy of Micheal Marsh's book 'Coeliac
disease" by blackwell scientific publications 1992.  Invite to your
meetings.  Remenber they may have inherited some misconceptions about
celiac disease.  If they are/become knowledgeable encourage to speak at
hospiatl mediacl rounds to inform their colleagues about celiac disease.

If you have any family members who are doctors send them info too.

Direct mailings are not likely to get thru the mass of junk mail that
most MD's get.
Publishing articles in medical journals relating to celiac disease does
occur, maybe not as much or on as many related topics as we would like
but some of us try.  For thoe of us in academics review articles are not
considered as important as new research reports. few research reports on
CD emanate from the US because there are so few researchers interested in
it and there is a lack of research funding for it.

If there is research being doone in academic centers then the faculty
doing the research will usually have an interest in what their researching
and the disease that it is focussed on. They then enthusiastically teach it
students and trainees who will absorb some it and carry it out with them
into practise.  That is not a fast process but it has happened with
infalmmatory bowel disease largely due to the efforts of the CCFA( crohn's
colitis foundation of America) If anyone knows any really rich people with
celiac disease suggest that a foundation to support celiac disease research
is sorely needed

Joe Murray
University of Iowa