Healthcare out Loud

Healthcare out Loud
Wrapping up for now our social media in healthcare discussion, before the chaos of HIMSS next week, I thought you might be interested in this talk by Susannah Fox of Pew Internet.

She talks about Healthcare Out Loud, the concept of people using the internet to gather and share information in a very public way.

Susannah presents trends over time as related to internet access in general, for example:

• Not that long ago in 1995, 10% of American adults had access to the internet, as compared to 75% today.
• In the year 2000, 5% of American homes had broadband. Today that number is about 66%. 

She also discusses how mobile and broadband are multipliers to what people do online, and asks the question: "What's the ROI on love?"

Personally it’s the information regarding mobile access I find fascinating, namely:

·          People are far more likely to upload to the internet using a mobile device – becoming a participant instead of just an observer

·          Accessing the internet via a mobile device makes accessing healthcare information immediate and personal

·          It encourages 3 key stages – Gather – Share – Create

Finally – for many low income groups who can’t afford broadband at home, a mobile device has finally given them that freedom – the last barrier in the access revolution is being breached.