Archive for October, 2008
Another Summary of Health 2.0 Conference with Best Picks
October 30, 2008
Jen McCabe Gorman posts on the Health Management RX blog her favorites from the Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco. Jen had the insider’s view having reviewed many of the demos prior to the conference. She cites 22 of her favorites and is not afraid to critique their weaknesses. One interesting quote: “We’re building killer apps that are springing forth from fertile VC and ad revenue soil like mushrooms and other nutrient, dark-loving fungi. But where’s the tree trunk they can all grow on?”
Also worth reading is her post on Health 2.0 Demo Tips, such as, don’t let your ego drive the presentation.
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Medicine 2.0 Course in a University – a first
October 30, 2008
This course sound like a big success. Taught by Berci Mesko at University of Debrecen in Hungary, a photo of the class in it’s 5th week here. Course outline looks comprehensive. The course even has its own blog. This is probably one of the most publicly documented courses ever short of having the whole thing on video. Maybe next year.
This kind of material is an excellent introduction ot Medicine 2.0 for any group of health professionals. I hope more courses will be designed at nursing, medical and allied health schools around the world.
Share this:Health 2.0 Conference Followup
October 27, 2008
Although I did not attend, I have been catching up on blogs and Twitters from the conference last week. The most important comments come from Matthew Holt’s Healthcare Blog. Specifically, these two quotes:
“All of this leads to the underlying tension that Health 2.0 puts squarely on the table. Is the future of health care going to be led by self-organizing groups of patients and their representatives, or will it be dominated by technologically-extended versions of the major health care organizations who are now responsible for care delivery?”
“The question of market viability is of course one all those companies need to face. But in a health care system in which crazy bad behaviors and useless technologies are heavily rewarded every day, is it a bad thing to suggest that we need to change incentives so that tools which have the potential to so greatly improve patient experience are put on a level playing field? I think not.”
Also, here is a nice summary of the Microsoft HealthVault presentation with some screen shots. Gives a better idea of how their platform works.
Share this:Health 2.0 Advisors Launched
October 24, 2008
Some of the real thought leaders behind the Health 2.0 movement have joined forces to develop Health 2.0 Advisors:
- Matthew Holt, Brian Klepper, Michael L. Millenson, and Jane Sarasohn-Kahn.
They’ll offer industry reports, workshops and consulting services. Looks like a good package of services.
This in partnership with Edelman, a global communications firm. I wish them success.
As a side note, Health 2.0 got an article in the New York Times authored by ReadWriteWeb, titled, “Health 2.0: Rules of Engagement.” One quote: “Effective health engagement can build trust, and conversely, trust is the key to deeper engagement.”
Share this:Social Media Works
October 23, 2008
In a posting on WebScope, Marc Needham reports on “Whys Social Media Works.” Examples include companies monitoring Twitter to respond to customer complaints, companies like Scripps creating Facebook identities, others using YouTube for “Human Resources promotional material to physician interviews.” He sees the future as pursuing social media optimization and syndication opportunities rather than search engine optimization.
All organizations including health care organizations, need to join the social networking and Web 2.0 awareness and exploit these communication tools.
Share this:Twittering for Public Health
October 19, 2008
Came across this slide show by Patricia Anderson of the University of Michigan, one of the first I’ve seen on the use of Twitter in Health Care. More health care organizations are joining Twitter as a communication tool including MD Anderson Cancer Center and the CDC. The real effectiveness of microblogging is yet to be demonstrated in any studies but like any tool in can have potential in this business sector. MD Anderson, which is in Houston, also used Twitter after the recent hurricane to notify the public of the status of the hospital.
Share this:Webicina: Web 2.0 in Medicine
October 17, 2008
Finally, a Web 2.0 site is launched with a reasonable business model. Bertalan Meskó, a medical student from Hungary, who has already made a reputation for himself through his Scienceroll.com blog and other ventures. Now he presents Webicina with a straightforward offering of four tools:
- Medicine 2.0 package
- E-learning tools
- Building an online reputation
- Consulting and workshops.
The business model is clear: a pricing structure is on the Get Involved page in U.S. Dollars. Check out the free E-learning offerings. Good luck, Berci.
Share this:Google Health Updates
October 16, 2008
Google Health has added some usability to make it accessible to the blind by enabling text readers. This will not only benefit those using Google Health but also those who pull their data from PHRs which don’t have these features.
Also, there is a new posting on ReadWriteWeb on Google Health and Microsoft Health Vault as Coke and Pepsi flavors of PHR platforms. Microsoft states, “introducing a new type of consumer health solution is a long-term endeavor.”
“This whole space is still so small, and has such huge potential, that we can both grow huge and succeed without bumping heads. Later on, head-to-head competition will probably be more important.” These platforms are very new but quickly growing their partner networks. It is difficult to see advantages yet so recommendations to consumers at this point are tough.
How Would Genetic Testing Change Your LIfe
October 14, 2008
Enoch Choi has posted an insightful piece about the announcement by Scripps, Navigetics and Microsoft about a project to test 10,000 people who have a genetic profile done and the impact on their behavior. Enoch talks about his own experience with Navigetics and the impact on his health behavior.
“Sponsored by Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), the study aims to find out if participating in personal genomic testing will improve health by motivating people to make positive lifestyle changes, such as exercising, eating healthy and quitting smoking, as well as decisions to seek further medical evaluation and preventive strategies. The study will offer genetic scans to up to 10,000 employees, family members and friends of the nonprofit Scripps Health system in San Diego and will assess changes in participants’ behaviors over a 20-year period.”
It is interesting that they are using employees and family members. One wonders what kind of privacy protections will be put in place. Also, this is one of the first long term studies – I look forward to interim reports thoughout the next several years.
Share this:National Institute for Health Innovation
October 14, 2008
In referring to National, this conference is from the island nation of New Zealand. This organization which is part of the University of Auckland, will provide live blogging from a conference on the northern island thanks to Chris Patton who I met at the Medicine 2.0 Congress. The conference is sponsored by HINZ, Health Informatics New Zealand. The conference will cover the same topics that you would find in a US conference, such as, implementation, health literacy, and integration. There are also a few unique topics, such as, From Professional Standards to Information Standards, Analysis of Medication Possession Ratio for Improved Blood Pressure, Supporting The Visually Impaired Using RFID Technology, and this one, which I especially like, Rescuing Data from Decaying and Moribund Clinical Information Systems.
I hope to tune in to some of the live blogging starting Wednesday. I wonder if any online video content will be available?
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