Preview: Social Networks In Healthcare at Miami Social Networking Conference

I’ll be speaking at the Social Networking Conference in Miami, January 23, 2009, about a subject that I predict will be in the headlines in 2009-2012: social networks will become a key part of the solution for reforming U.S. healthcare. Although everyone has agreed for years that the U.S. healthcare system has needed an overhaul, people have not agreed on what has had to be done, when or how, and this has created an obstreperous impasse. Social networks offer an intriguing possibililty to help reform the system because they can enable emergent organization and cross-boundary collaboration. They can start small and plug numerous communication and collaboration gaps in healthcare workstreams.  In Miami, I will offer eight case studies to show how people are already collaborating to change key elements of the system.

Social Networks in Healthcare Case Studies

• CDC—bucking the stereotype that government is a slow technology adopter, the CDC has fielded an impressive array of Web 2.0 initiatives, from UGC greeting cards, to games and presence in Second Life, a leading virtual world. We’ll discuss how these initiatives map to their mission and are quite economical.
• Pfizer—one of the leading pharma companies in the world, Pfizer has seen some impressive Enterprise 2.0 results with wikis and blogs, suggesting that HCOs can use them to create significant economies of scale.
• PatientsLikeMe—Amazing community is changing the rules around privacy and sharing of personal health information to improve the lives of others.
• Mayo Clinic—The renowned medical center enables patients, prospective patients and employees to share their thoughts and feelings on its Facebook page. Excellent example of helping stakeholders to co-create experience.
• MedCommons—offers individuals that ability to organize and share the personal health information with whomever they choose. For many patients, creating a supportive, cross-boundary group around them significantly improves treatment outcomes in acute cases and increases quality of life in chronic situations.
• Change:Healthcare—introduces a innovative approach to help patients to improve transparency and control over healthcare costs.
• Hershey Center for Applied Research—the life sciences accelerator explicitly uses Facebook and LinkedIn as models to roll its own software infrastructure to encourage global collaboration.
• Sermo—revolutionary community of (mostly) U.S. physicians changes all kinds of rules and offers numerous innovation possibilities.

Parting shots

• Update: at the conference, I was interviewed by Webmaster Radio about social networks in healthcare, here’s a 7 minute audiocast
• This is an excellent conference, and hope to see you there!
• If you have other examples you’d like me to mention, please share your ideas via comments below.
• For related reading, see my reportage of the Healthcare Reform Summit: The U.S. Healthcare System: Can This Patient Be Saved?
• UPDATE: view the presentation slides here.