Health 2.0 - Consumers are Leading the Way
I’m reflecting on the things I’ve learned here in Boston at the DIA conference, in support of the Academic Network. And because of the strict regulatory environment surrounding the pharma industry, I believe they’re going to be some of the last to really be able to embrace Health 2.0, (links to my post on subject on the brand new ANW blog).
Meanwhile, consumers are leading the way into the online world, going online FIRST to research diseases, conditions, and the share experiences with others. In a very informative article about this trend, Jane Sarasohn-Kahn of THINK-Health said:
‘Within the environment of Health 2.0, people with chronic health conditions are sharing their stories with each other, not just for emotional support, but for the clinical knowledge they gain from participating with “patients like me” in an online community. Doctors are meeting up online to share quandaries about challenging cases and solutions that work. Researchers are coming together with patients to learn about side effects in real-time to improve therapeutic regimens.’
- The Wisdom of Patients - Health Care Meets Online Social Media
In pharma, people look for “signals” and “beacons” and safety.
The signals are here.
The beacons and safe passage are also here, but it’ll be a task to get health care industry professionals to trust the new set of professionals who can negotiate the waters to take them there. I intend to be right there with those businesses who want to meet consumers in a world of Health 2.0 first.
Academic Network is one of them.
