Tag Archives: Social Networking

Examples, please: peer-to-peer healthcare–Susannah Fox

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I’m writing an article and would love to tap into this community’s knowledge.

I know of a few examples of clinical practices using Facebook and Twitter to connect with patients, such as MacArthur OB/GYN, but I’d love to learn about other examples, especially ones which use social networking tools to connect patients and caregivers with each other.

Also, I know of patient-led groups which are powerful resources for their members, such as ACOR.org and the many groups affiliated with the National Organization for Rare Disorders, but again, I’d love to learn about some new examples, especially ones which are organized around common conditions like asthma or high blood pressure and (bonus points) have bridged the gap to include connections with clinicians.

Finally, when I think of behavior change writ large (ie, population-level) I think of organizations like Weight Watchers and Alchoholics Anonymous. Are there any other health groups that come close to those two in terms of scale and notoriety? MedHelp claims 12 million monthly visitors, for example. Does anyone else have those numbers?

Comments, please!

ISO: Randomized Trials–Susannah Fox

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I received an email the other day containing the following question:

Are you aware of any randomized trials – in progress, or published – that examined the impact of social networking web 2.0, etc. on patient-level variables (e.g., improved rates of preventive health care, cancer screening, diabetes care, etc)?

My answer:

I haven’t done a recent literature search, but if I did, I’d start at the following sites:

http://www.ictconsequences.net/refbase/

http://www.jmir.org/search

http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/

http://www.jopm.org/

I would also look at the presenters and innovators affiliated with these organizations and events:

http://www.connected-health.org/

http://www.medicine20congress.com/ocs/index.php/med/med2011

http://www.health2con.com/

Let’s help out this researcher. Where else would you look for publications or reports of trials in progress? Please add them in the comments.

What can surgeons learn from patients?–Susannah Fox

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I’m going to be on a panel at the American College of Surgeons 96th Annual Clinical Congress on October 5 in Washington, DC. The session title is pretty provocative: To Tweet or Become Extinct?: Why Surgeons Need to Understand Social Networking and my part of it uses the “e” word that I recently tried to swear off: The E-patient is In: How Social Networking Can Make You A Better Surgeon.

This is a different audience for me — all M.D.s, no “civilians” — so I have been preparing for it with special care. Continue reading →