Health care "socially" vibrant yet wary
Jinfo Blog

By Joanna Ptolomey

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Have you ever had to look a person in eye with a long term chronic health condition and believe that the information you provide could potentially change their life for the better? I have.

The health care sector has an interesting but sometimes complex and uneasy range of stakeholders. This is the first post in a series looking at social media trends, barriers, products and evolution for the health care sector.

I believe that there will be lessons for all industry sectors. There are the usual suspects – health care professionals (HCP), health providers and the pharmaceutical industry to name of few. But health consumers/patients are an increasingly high profile and valuable stakeholder in the success of health information and content provision.

Daniel Ghinn discussed this in a recent FUMSI contribution. Some industry insiders believe this group is the key to a more successful health care industry and that social media is the engagement tool of choice. In a recent "EPG Health Media" market research publication, results of the health care stakeholders social media in relation to health information were presented (http://digbig.com/5bbpca).

Granted the report has more than a nod towards the pharmaceutical sector - with thought given to capitalisation and engagement with other stakeholders. But it does suggest that the ability to "engage in conversation" with stakeholders, customers, whatever you want to call them is now a key priority in health information.

Social media and web 2.0 has provided platforms for patient communities to flourish via social networks such as FaceBook or specific topic portals. This could be by condition specific communities such as breast cancer (Sharing Strength is a good example) or generalised health and well-bring. "Patients like me" is a well known and respected example of these social networks in action.

These new conversations are a rich source of e-patient content, and with that the shift of power to the consumer presents opportunities.

But what is an e-patient? They are equipped, enabled, empowered and engaged in their healthcare. They can also be active in participatory medicine - a model of medical care where the patient plays an active role in the healthcare team.

People aside there is the technology to consider. There are some hospitals and medical communities experimenting in YouTube and twitter such as the British Medical Association (BMA).

However there are some real challenges in HCPs, hospitals and practices truly adopting social media. In the UK, and I can speak personally from Scottish perspective, the National Health Service (NHS) bans most devices and tools that have a web 2.0 or social networking element. They are in main banned in NHS environments.

In the main there are questions around security risks from incoming content and privacy concerns. There is also the generally held assumption of time wasting on frivolous technology that has yet no real worth attributed.

This is all leading to a very interesting next stage in the way in which the health care sector and all of its stakeholders will develop health information content and provision.

From multi-national corporations, to health care providers, and the role of the consumer/e-patient - who will shape and change the way in which the sector manages, engages in conversation and exchanges information?

Finally a "new kid on the block" with a model of cooperative engagement of change is here. "Health care social media Europe" – their purpose is to improve the health of patients through quality health information via social media tools.

Excellent... I love a good bun fight with a great purpose!

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