This year’s Pre-Commerce Summit is about the future … of Consumer Engagement, Analytics, Research, Content and Video … and of course, Social Health. Social media has radically altered the business environment over the last five years largely due to a “pre-commerce” principle – that 99% of people’s time online is spent doing things OTHER THAN making a transaction. As more and more businesses realize the implications associated with that trend, they’ve changed the way that they communicate, sell, design products and services, and even the way that they organize and govern themselves internally.
The health system has been exempt, to some degree, from those changes – in large part because there is no true “system” – and also because there have been artificial “economies” put into place through regulation and sheer disorganization. In spite of all that, though, every part of the health ecosystem has begun to realize that connecting is possible – and even desirable – whether or not it’s encouraged by regulators or anyone else.
It started with patients connecting with other patients … something that conventional wisdom told us would never happen. “Health information is to private to share in a social network!” Turns out, it isn’t. Then, healthcare companies began to realize that a) there was power in those patient networks and they could be learned from; and b) they, too, could tap into the power of social networks to operate their businesses more effectively, transparently and successfully.
The last group of folks to join this party were the health care providers – notably physicians. But they have been catching up with a vengeance. I’m now following over 500 doctors on twitter, and have started to profile the doctors who are blazing new trails in the MDigitalLife physician interview series.
I’m really excited to be leading a panel of healthcare pioneers discussing this very topic at this year’s Pre-Commerce Summit. Joining me will be:
Bryan Vartabedian, MD – Bryan was the first doctor featured in the MDigitalLife physician interview series – and for good reason. Bryan is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Baylor College of Medicine. He’s the author of Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to- Soothe Baby. And he’s also been, for the last several years, the leading thinker on physicians and the use of social media. You can find Bryan on his blog, 33 Charts; Twitter; and LinkedIn.
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Michele Polz – Michele is Head of Patient Solutions at Sanofi-Aventis’ US diabetes team. She’s taken a radical approach to engaging the diabetes community – most notably through the Data Design Diabetes Innovation Challenge. Through the Challenge, Michele has been able to bring together the most innovative thinkers in the world to create products and services focused on improving the lives of diabetics. The 2011 challenge was a huge success – and was pulled together in an amount of time thought to be impossible in corporate America. 2012 has already stirred up tremendous excitement (as evidenced by this recent Huffington Post piece). You can keep up with Michele on twitter and LinkedIn.
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Jody Schoger – Jody is a writer and cancer advocate with more than 25 years of experience in public relations and communications in health care, science and education. Following her own diagnosis with a locally advanced breast cancer in 1998, she has since devoted her energy to helping other survivors. She is the author of the “Anchored Activism” column in Oncology Times, the respected WomenWithCancer blog, and the co-creator of Breast Cancer Social Media (#BCSM), a popular tweet chat for breast cancer survivors. In addition to her blog, you can follow Jody on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Three different perspectives on the role – and more importantly, the future – of social health. Don’t miss it.
For an invitation to attend the Pre-Commerce Summit live in Austin, contact me at gmatthews@wcgworld.com … as of this writing there are only a few slots left.
