From the article: "Two years ago I wrote an iHealthBeat Perspective, titled, "Social
Media in Health Care: Barriers and Future Trends." Let's take a look
at how far we have come and whether my predictions are on target….But none has been more influential or quoted
than the 2011 report from Susannah Fox from Pew Internet on "Peer to Peer
Healthcare." These survey results showed the ubiquitous use of social
media by those with chronic conditions and a trend toward routinely reaching
out to others through social networks for advice on managing illness…Hospitals and health systems have moved beyond
initial experiments with social media to integrating these tools into their
marketing and patient engagement efforts. …A
relative newcomer to social media in health care is pharma. This was not on my
radar two years ago but has emerged as a real, if not controversial, force. …My predictions for the next two years are that
mobile apps will enable connections between health care providers and patients
in unique ways provided the legal barriers HIPAA imposes can be overcome.
Hospitals and providers will make social media a key part of patient engagement
to improve care and boost clinical trial recruitment.Health monitoring through
smartphones will become common for those interested in maintaining their health
and managing chronic conditions to the point that self-monitoring data will
become a routine part of medical appointments. Online communities will become
more integrated with health care delivery so that they will be
"prescribed" by physicians, as will mobile apps that have been
vetted. The app world has widely expanded how social media can impact care;
with public-private partnerships and online community-provider partnerships,
the future holds much promise." Read more
See also
Peer-to-Peer Healthcare, a report prepared by Pew Internet, February
2011.
Thaker, Samir, I., et al. How U.S. Hospitals Use Social Media. Annals of Internal Medicine, May 2011.
Bennett, Ed.
Hospital Social Network List. Found In Cache, October 9, 2011.
