Health Networking Goes Social

Posted on | January 8, 2007 | 1 Comment

A recent Harris Interactive survey revealed that Internet health information consumption is once again on the rise. In 2006, 80% of connected U.S. adults reported having searched for health information, compared to 72% the year before. But, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, that’s only part of the story.

According to Doug Hirsch, founder of DailyStrength.org, health is moving “to a whole new level” — a social-networking revolution is taking place. For example, Hirsch’s site makes it easy for people caught up in health or poor health to connect with each other. They can join a support group, start their own health journal, recommend caregivers (or not), spread information, or just provide support and comfort.

The big news? Ease of use and the big patient-support and disease-specific groups are now actively engaged. From the American Cancer Society to the CDC, organizations are running fast to keep up with sites driven by “the people” rather than “the people caring for the people.”

A few examples of these sites include: RealMentalHealth.com, OrganizedWisdom.com, thewellnesscommunity.org, BreastCancer.org, and Healia.com. Cancer association advocates remain out in front when it comes to connecting with each other. They have the Association of Cancer Online Resources, which is a collection of online communities.

And in 2007, The Medical Blog Network is scheduled to launch a social networking site for consumers and their physicians with founder Dmitriy Kruglyak advocating for guidelines and conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Where will it go next and how far? Depends on the energy and passion of the users. But leaders like ACS’s online strategy director Adam Pellegrini are optimistic. According to him, “We’re trying to leverage social networking for health promotion. Everything is based on communities now.”