As I’ve written about before on this blog, the web is starting to transform how we, as patients, obtain healthcare information. Recognizing this, healthcare companies have become much more aggressive in how they’re using the web, specifically social media, to disseminate information. Forbes recently reported on a creative way one organization chose to promote a pivotal study.
In the Forbes piece, reporter Rebecca Ruiz, explains how the Mayo Clinic out of Rochester, Minn used Twitter to tease an upcoming study on celiac disease. They followed the folks re-tweeting the news and chose a select few to share the findings with exclusively. What’s unique about this, is that Mayo didn’t give the results to traditional reporters. They gave them patients with celiac and offered them an embargo of the study, with free reign to blog about it. A privilege typically reserved for journalists.
The results were also distributed on Facebook and through this YouTube video.
This example from Mayo is likely to be the wave of the future. Undoubtedly, more and more healthcare organizations will begin using Facebook, Twitter and other emerging social media tools and communities to reach out directly to the people affected by the disease states and conditions for which they are providing education. It will be interesting to see how these interactions impact new and traditional media as well as the consumption of healthcare information.
The Forbes piece also includes a great slideshow that highlights the best resources on the web for obtaining healthcare info. Check it out here.
Nor surprisingly, news came out of a group of global researchers today in The Lancet reporting that tanning beds are as deadly as arsenic. The studies concluded that the risk of skin cancer jumped 75% for folks using tanning beds under the age of 30. According to WebMD,The International Agency for Research on Cancer (division of the WHO) announced today that “that it has moved UV tanning beds to its highest cancer risk category .”
I don’t know about you, but this news isn’t shocking to me. The days of bronzing up before a big event are over but what about the summer months? My follow-up question is, what does this mean for sun worshippers or people just enjoying the beach? Even though we know to use sunblock (everyday!) and self-tanners, does this news show that tanning beds are more dangerous than the sun? OR are they equally as dangerous…I’ll do some digging and report back on my findings.
Based on some additional research, as expected, it looks like the sun is almost as bad as these tanning booths. Time to reapply the sunscreen…check out this WebMD article that sites some recent studies to back up these claims.
Robotic devices and assistants are starting to be used in a wide variety of surgical disciplines, including urology and vascular procedures. Despite initial nervousness from surgeons and patients alike the results speak for themselves.
Research shows that surgery performed using robotic assistants have the same, if not better outcomes for patients, with the added benefit of a less invasive procedure, which reduces trauma on the body and speeds recovery time. Robotic assistants often reduce the time needed for a procedure, freeing up the operating theatre which helps NHS Trusts meet targets and reduce costs.
Whilst research into robotic assistants and devices is compelling, these techniques are not yet commonly used. However, the development of virtual operations is growing at a faster rate and is already being used by a handful of training hospitals. Surgeons feed information’s from X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds into a computer model, which creates a virtual patient. This allows surgeons to ‘practice’, and try out different scenarios prior to deciding on the best course of action and operating on the patient.
In addition, virtual operations have been proven to speed the training process. The Cochrane Systematic Review looked at 23 trials involving 612 participants and ‘clearly demonstrated the benefits of virtual reality training’. In another review it was found that training surgeons using virtual reality simulators helps them to learn techniques faster and with greater accuracy meaning the technology could help the UK to cut junior doctors’ working hours to comply with the European Working Time Directive – a constant pressure on surgeons and hospital managers.
The use of robots and virtual operations in surgery has a number of benefits for patients and surgeons. More people can be treated in expert centres. Similarly, more complex cases, for example patients with diseased veins which hinder access, can be treated due to the improved level of accuracy.
This is a new way of working for the surgical community, and it will no doubt take some time before we see widespread adoption. However, combined with the latest minimally invasive techniques and most advanced medical devices it seems that healthcare and technology can continue to combine to provide superior surgical options for patients.
Coming out of last week’s NJ scandle was the arrest of Levy-Izhak Rosenbaum, who has been accused of brokering illegal deals to organs. Newsweek published an interesting article about this market and highlighted costs associated with these organs on the black market. Who knew that Kidney’s could go for updwards of $30,000?!
Who could forget the April outbreak of the H1N1flu – more commonly known as “swine flu” – that swept the globe and left people around the world in a state of panic? First reported in Mexico, spring breaks and honeymoons to the sunny vacation destination were cancelled as people feared they could be susceptible to this scary and fatal disease while traveling. The virus continued to spread, and on June 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the swine flu a global pandemic.
It is now known that the virus is spread through human contact and by many of the same avenues as the traditional, seasonal flu: coughs, sneezes or by touching infected areas and then touching your nose or mouth. While many of the symptoms could be considered minor (fever, cough, headaches), those aged 65 years and older, kids under the age of five, pregnant women and those with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease are at higher risk of more serious complications.
Not surprisingly, the New York Times reported that pharmaceutical companies are rushing to have a swine flu vaccine available for the fall flu season. About 2,400 healthy adult volunteers will be tested in the first clinical trials to evaluate the vaccine. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is overseeing the trials and is quoted as saying, “[The trials are being conducted] in a compressed time frame in a race against the possible autumn resurgence.” Is it just me, or does this seem a bit rushed?
Of course I appreciate the need for the vaccine and given the high incidence of the flu in the fall, I understand the reasoning behind the timeline. However, the fact that the physician overseeing the trial even says that this is a “compressed time frame” is a bit alarming to me. I know I’d be pretty nervous to volunteer myself for a quick clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of a vaccine for a virus that swept the nation, leaving many gravely ill and killing others. On the other hand, taking part in this trial, no matter the outcome, is a selfless act that could positively affects thousands of people. Do you think the schedule for this clinical trial is too accelerated or do you believe it’s necessary to be completed by the fall? Would you be willing to participate in a trial of this nature?
In today’s economic climate, we’re all trying to stretch a buck. Cooking in instead of eating out, staycations in lieu of European trips, haggling with your doctor on medical costs…wait, hold the anesthesia. What? According to Forbes.com, consumers are becoming increasingly more savvy as it relates to their healthcare costs and savings, and why not – on average, families spend more than $3k each year on copays, coinsurance, premiums and deductibles, a whopping 2x as much as a decade ago. As Forbes reports, the rising healthcare costs, coupled with increased share paid by the patient, is giving patients the incentive, and courage, needed to bargain their healthcare prices.
Some tips for bargaining? Try to work out a reasonable deal in advance. Remember, your MD is by no means a car salesman and thus, will not respond well to lowballing. Work with your physician in advance of your surgery or procedure so you both feel comfortable with the level of care, and corresponding cost, for the treatment. Then, post-service, ask for a complete, itemized bill – and be sure to look out for mistakes. Often hospitals will double-charge you on certain items and interestingly enough, patients can obtain a significant discount just by challenging specific items on the bill.
Rest assured, if negotiation isn’t your forte, companies like Medical Cost Advocate will do the dirty work for you. According to Forbes, the company can save you, on average, anywhere from 10% to 40% on total costs.
If you’re anything like me, there’s a certain part of this trend that seems, well, rather unnatural and uncomfortable. I grew up with the mindset that healthcare costs were healthcare costs, no questions asked. I wouldn’t want the reduced cost of my procedure to, even unintentionally, determine the level of quality I receive. Whether or not you agree, one thing is for sure – the way we think about medical care is drastically changing, right before our very eyes.
Recently we had the opportunity to chat with new media evangelist and consultant, Ron Ploof, of the popular RonAmok! blog. Ron shared his thoughts on his recent case study that evaluates Johnson & Johnson’s social media platform and how other pharmaceutical and medical device companies can integrate social media into their communications programs.
Here’s what he had to say…
What is it about Johnson & Johnson that makes them a good example for other healthcare industry companies to follow in implementing a social media program?
Johnson & Johnson had a vision that social media could work for them, but had to find a way to put a toe in the water. With their first blog, The Kilmer House, they chose to look backwards, focusing on their 123 years of public education. The choice to look backwards is brilliant because no one can get into trouble for backward-looking statements. By choosing something safe that fit within their corporate culture, J&J learned lessons and built upon that experience.
With compliance issues and medical companies under constant scrutiny for communication tactics (among other things), isn’t there a risk for companies to join in the conversation?
With healthcare you have to ask if what a company says online actually hurts the public. We started regulations to protect people from big-bad corporations, like the elixir salesman in the J&J case study. But what happens when such restrictions put a stranglehold on the conversation? I think the government is going to have to think through that question.
The other important thing to consider is that if they don’t figure out how to communicate online, patients will do it for them. If J&J doesn’t host the conversation about a particular disease or treatment option, people who are suffering from a disease state will collect together and talk about it–independent of pharmaceutical and device companies. For instance, PatientsLikeMe is a great place for people to discuss their ailments. A social network of like-minded people is totally different than talking with a company or a doctor, so people on PatientsLikeMe and other patient networks, like SugarStats, will probably share more information than the pharmaceutical companies ever dreamed of them sharing.
So do you think social media is the future for companies in healthcare communication?
It doesn’t matter, because the conversation is going to happen regardless. Companies and government regulators will have to figure out how to make it work, and if they don’t, the patients will. The tricky thing is that lawyers and regulators want absolutes–for everything to fit into black and white terms. Such a hope is impossible with conversation. Conversation is gray. The good news is that the issue will be solved. The question is: who will do it first?
Companies with the best chance of cracking it are those willing to take a little bit of risk. The risk being: we have decided to talk about this subject because we think there is a benefit for the greater good. When you look at companies like J&J, you see that healthcare companies keep inching closer and closer. As companies push the envelope further, some might get slapped, but maybe that will be the catalyst for change. For example, if a company creates a portal so valuable to patients, yet is removed because of some arcane regulation, the public uproar will force the regulations to change.
What are some basic steps a company looking to experiment with social media can take now?
Across industries, the most common obstacles include internal resistance and fear of losing control of your brand. Let’s face it. When you go online, you lose all control. The first step, then, is to explain this fact to upper management and gain their support.
Once you have support, I always recommend starting with a blog first. One of my top ten rules for social media is ‘don’t build an entire social media strategy on rented land.’ A blog on my website is mine. Twitter, Facebook and other social networks are great, but if you build your entire social media presence on external site and they go away, you’ve lost it all. With a blog, if one of the rented properties changes, your audience can trace the breadcrumbs back to your home—the blog. What I really like about J&J is that they built their foundation on their own land first and then built out with rented pieces. They started with two blogs, then went to YouTube, and now they’re using Twitter like a quarterback to tie all of the pieces together.
The other thing is to make sure you’re always measuring what you’re doing. With traditional media, we used to rent an audience from a publisher or a broadcaster, but social media allows us to build a specific audience of people interested in our products and services. To make sure that audience remains engaged, you have to measure its size and level of engagement to see what’s working, and what’s not. If your audience is growing and engaged and you still face internal resistance, show them the measurements. No one can argue with results.
In your J&J case study, you talk a lot about the impact of videos. Why do you think they are so effective, and what are best practices tips for companies looking to make videos?
Humans are very visual beings, so video is one of the quickest growing aspects online. To me, the success is in the stories and storytelling. We pay $10 to sit in a crowded movie theater with people we don’t even know to stare at a screen. Why? Because we’re hardwired to love stories. Therefore, creating online video that tells stories is an excellent way to communicate a message. Probably my favorite quote from C.C. Chapman is “the quality in it (video) is more important than the quality of it.” Companies must get more comfortable with the fact that we don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a studio production. A lot of people think you need expensive studios and lighting to make a good online video, but to me that’s old media. As long as the sound and video aren’t distracting, the success comes from properly capturing the story.
We’re all aware of the potentials that electronic patient record (EPR) could bring to patients and clinicians and these kinds of systems are currently being implemented in healthcare across the developed world. By enabling the storing and sharing of health information electronically and online, a number of benefits could be achieved: enhanced clinical communication, reduced number of errors and more effective diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, it gives patients the control over their own healthcare.
However, enabling this access to this kind of sensitive data also carries with it new risks in privacy and security. In England, the National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT), a 10-year programme that is aimed at implementing EPR systems across the country, has been running for seven years.
In an Ideal World
The idea behind the system is to convert billions of patient records from paper to digital to achieve:
An electronic ‘choose and book’ system to give patients the ability to book, change and cancel their own hospital appointments
An electronic prescription service that will link General Practitioners and pharmacists
A new NHS broadband network and internal email system that will allow better communication between staff
Near-instant access for clinicians to x-rays and scans.
In brief, it hopes to transform the NHS in England into the modern, computerised organisation everyone would like it to be.
The Real World
We know the broadband infrastructure is in place, but at huge costs to the NHS. Additionally, the ‘choose and book’ ability is working, but it’s not used in the primary or secondary care setting, while the electronic prescription service, once available, could prove extremely useful.
However, the main problem is that the National Electronic Health Record, the main purpose of the NPFiT will not be available for years, if at all. As far as I’m aware no other country has managed to connect up its healthcare system into a single digital system and implement a country-wide EPR system. Still, nor has England. So, it comes as no huge surprise that the Conservative party has commissioned a review of the NPFiT programme, which could lead to abandonment of the programme with a new suggestion of storing data on the internet with companies such as Microsoft and / or Google. I believe this is cause for great concern.
Your Health Records in the Hands of Google or Microsoft?
From a personal perspective, I would feel a little uncomfortable if my health information was saved online with the likes of Microsoft or Google, where anyone clever enough could potentially hack into it. I’m aware that the proposed EPR systems are also now immune to these kinds of attacks. However, by putting my trust in the NHS in general, I also hope to be able to trust their IT systems. But do I really trust this over budget IT system that has been subject to delays, errors and looks unlikely to be finished in the next few years?
In today’s Washington Post, Sandra Boodman evaluates whether online doctor rating systems, like RateMDs.com and Vitals.com, help or hurt the healthcare system. And more importantly, whether your doctor can prevent you from posting to one. Rating systems like TripAdvisor.com have become the go-to resource for booking your dream vacation, but physicians and advocacy groups argue that doctor rating systems don’t give people enough information on which to base their decision. Moreover, the information may not be completely accurate.
It used to be that to find a doctor, you would research the healthcare facilities in your area, talk to people you trust about their experiences, and interview the physician yourself to gauge whether the doctor would be a good fit for you. Sometimes this meant visiting a few doctors and getting a second or third opinion. But now, for some people rating systems might provide baseline information about a practice to help them get their research going.
While physicians argue about the validity of these rating sites, the real issue seems to be how do we select physicians today? And what role should physicians play in controlling that?
MSNBC put together a great article about the safety concerns of Parkour and freerunning. Parkour, for those who haven’t seen the YouTube videos, is the art of getting from point A to B as smoothly as possible, transversing benches, walls and garages in the urban environment. The popularity of these sports has grown wildly because of YouTube videos and Facebook pages and health officials are warning about the (obvious) dangers of jumping over park benches and swinging from trees.
Would you think twice about the safety of a sport that has been hyped through these channels? And, if you’re a traceur or traceuse, share your YouTube videos!
