Believe it or not, 14 years ago, the idea of using the internet for health was a novel concept. That’s when Pew Internet published its first report about the social impact of the internet on health and health care, raising eyebrows across the U.S. Our data was cited in mainstream news outlets, in JAMA, and, […]
peer-to-peer health care
How did we get here? And where are we going?
Video of my talk in Sweden is now online (skip to minute 7 unless you speak Swedish): It’s a comprehensive summary of my research so far, as well as an argument for listening to patients and caregivers as we move forward into the future. I opened with an example that was inspired by a visit […]
Just in time someone like me
In 2005, I took a call from someone who worked at Planned Parenthood. He wanted the conversation to be off the record, so I didn’t even write down his name, which is a shame because that conversation changed the direction of my career. The caller had seen media coverage of Pew Internet’s health research, probably […]
Health Care Hackers
Destination DIY is an independently-produced public radio show and podcast featuring creative solutions to big problems. Sarah Yahm did a beautiful job producing the latest show and I was honored to be part of it: https://soundcloud.com/destinationdiy/health-care-hackers A few footnotes: I name PatientsLikeMe as an example of an organization that helps people who want to help […]
The internet spins both ways
Did you know some doctors once had a hand signal to warn their colleagues about internet-using patients? I talk about this and other health care history, plus a bit about the possible future (including some market opportunities), in an interview with Alex Howard: One study I cite in this segment of our conversation centers on […]
Just-in-time help
Jodi Sperber snapped this photo of an older man helping a younger man with his tie on the T in Boston. I love it and shared it online (after getting Jodi’s permission). Roni Zeiger was one friend I sent it to and he replied, “Networks of microexperts ready to help each other: you never know where […]
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