We first published the following post as a guest article on one of our favorite health care blogs, The Healthcare IT Guy, two days ago. In case you didn't see it there we are sharing it with you on our own blog to get more exposure for these ideas. We hope you will comment and offer your own insights and feedback to how social networking will impact the healthcare industry in coming years...
Collaboration is nothing new to the health care industry. Scientists, physicians, health organizations, and educational institutions have networked, shared information, and worked together to solve the world’s biggest health care challenges forever. But only recently, as a result of new Internet technologies, have individuals been empowered to join this same discussion in a meaningful, collective way.
Here are 10 ways social computing may be the most disruptive and positive force to ever impact the healthcare industry.
1. Information Windows Have Closed
New
health-focused social networks, search engines and content distributors
are making it easier for anyone to have access to the same information
at the same time. That means the health care industry needs to educate
consumer patients at the same time they educate physicians. Consumers
now have access to information that was once privileged only to the
industry. Social computing makes it possible for almost anyone to
quickly arm themselves with information, ask more questions, and take
charge of their health decisions like never before.
2. Collaboration is Making Us Smarter
Now that
it’s less expensive, faster, and easy for health groups, physicians,
health organizations, and consumers to connect and collaborate,
everyone is getting smarter. People are learning about new treatments,
alternative solutions, less expensive options, and helping each other
connect the dots with complicated health issues.
3. It’s Now Possible to Dialog Directly with Patients
For
the most part, the health care industry has been based on the “few to
many” approach to communications, marketing, product development, etc.
Technology is making it possible (and necessary) for the industry to
connect with all of their constituencies in a more personalized,
relevant way. These new direct links with consumer patients, for
example, could mean better product design, new treatments, more
effective trials, and ultimately more personalized health solutions.
4. Transparency is a Requirement
Social
networks are lifting the veil of an often blurry and complex industry.
People want to understand more about the companies providing their
health care. They are learning about alternative treatments. And they
are demanding a more open and forthright culture from the industry.
Social networks are breeding savvy consumers, who are giving their
trust to those who are opening the curtain and helping communicate in
more transparent ways.
5. Word of Mouth Marketing
Friends and
family have shared and spread important wisdom since the beginning of
time. But now, via social networks, they can do so with a click of a
button. This means that industry marketers will need to rethink how
they focus their efforts. They must figure out transparent and
effective ways to leverage word of mouth marketing in a hyper-connected
world.
6. Knowledge Now Lives Forever
Over time
community driven knowledge bases will become smarter and more
meaningful. Archived information, shared wisdom, and personal
experience has a much longer life span than ever before.
7. Wisdom of Crowds
The collective
experience from millions can now be assembled to help people see
trends, make decisions, and learn what worked (or didn’t work) for
millions of other people. Access to this data will change how people
make their health care decisions in the future, and perhaps impact the
very types of health related products and services that become
available.
8. The Long Tail Effect
Health care will
open up to thousands of new micro-segments, as the health industry,
learns that there is big business in small niche focused health care
needs. There will be new treatments and solutions for even the most
rare of health conditions. It is also likely, that social networks will
make it easier for the health care industry to identify new areas they
need to focus on developing solutions for.
9. Costs Driven Down
Over time, education
and collaboration will force the industry to find innovative ways to
keep costs down. People will get better access to health care at more
affordable prices because they will be able to find other options and
new solutions.
10. Privacy Fears Replaced by a Culture of Collaborative Action
For
many important reasons, personal privacy is critical when health issues
are concerned. But as we are seeing online in message boards, blogs,
and Web sites, many are standing up and saying: I want to share my
wisdom to help other people. Social networks that empower consumers and
put them in control of their personal health information, are giving
individuals the choice to make decisions about what they share and what
they don’t. This new culture of openness will require additional
protections, but overall we will all benefit from a more intelligent
and collaborative base of knowledge, experience and progress.
It is exciting to see all of the innovation occurring in the health care industry today. New technologies, empowered consumers, and better information, will ultimately help us all. Those companies who learn to participate transparently, and leverage the force of these new networks, will ultimately succeed.
With tens of millions of active users, MySpace and Facebook.com have been sweeping the Internet by storm over the past few years. But a new trend is emerging that looks like it will become increasingly important over the coming years: in addition to their current memberships, users are turning to niche-focused social networks that meet their specific needs such as regionalism, increased privacy protections, or features that relate to a particular topic of interest.
The New York Times
Medical News Today
WebMD
PsychCentral
CNN
EverydayHealth
Healthline
Mayo Clinic
AOL Health
Yahoo! Health
National Cancer Institute
Sign up today to get OrganizedWisdom delivered to your inbox
Subscribe