People who need people use social media by Jane Sarasohn Kahn

In the most bullish forecast yet on the adoption of social media in health, iCrossing has found that 34% of Americans turn to social media for health research.

iCrossing has been analyzing "How America Searches" for financial services, travel, and other vertical market information over the past two years. Now, they've researched Americans' search for health and wellness information. It will be no surprise that health search is a normal part of most Americans' online activities, based on previous research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, California HealthCare Foundation, JupiterMedia, and other credible research teams.

This report from iCrossing breaks new ground by offering some hard numbers about consumers' use of social media in health.  Among the available social media types, consumers chose Wikipedia (chosen by 20% of online health searchers), online forums and message boards as the most favored in health and wellness. iCrossing found that these were particularly attractive to the youngest adult cohort of 18-to-34 year old health searchers. But note that the average age of the social media user for health is 37, compared with 44 years of age for the overall health search population.

Several findings are particularly notable and new:

Consumers going to social media sites tend to be in decision-making mode. They are in search of useful insights into health services, costs for specific procedures and devices, and reputations of providers. This is a role that will be played by sites like Blue Cross of Minnesota's Health Care Scoop and the emerging Anthem/Zagat sites.

After the health professional -- whether clinician, pharmacist, or nurse -- "someone else with the same condition" is important to those consumers seeking advice about particular medications.  People with serious chronic conditions are looking to consumer-experts for sage advice on meds and care processes. The logic: who better to consult than another experienced patient to get the skinny on living with side effects and quality of life issues? Nearly 2/3 of people who go online for health information report this emerging "Consumer Opinion Leader" as "extremely important" or "very important.

The most compelling reason consumers are using social media in health is to ;connect with other consumers to exchange information or get support," according to 75% of the online health searcher. The next most important reasons to use social media vs. other types of online sites is to find out more about the costs of a procedure or medical equipment (noted by 55%) and to access personal health records (noted by 56%).

The iCrossing survey was conducted in December 2007, so should be considered current as of the timing of the date of this blog post.

Health Populi's Hot Points: While there are more than a few skeptics in the market today dissing the "Health 2.0" concept (among them, those who also denigrate the "Web 2.0" moniker), the proof of the reality of social media in health is alive and well and healing on sites like DiabetesMine, PatientsLikeMe, Organized Wisdom, and WEGOHealth, among many others too numerous to mention. Increasing numbers of people are reaching out to others for more than the kind of support they might have found in the Compuserve health interest groups in the 1980s; they're finding practical solutions to chronic health challenges. Consumer-generated content in health is finding a receptive audience in this early adoption phase. There are already a cadre of influential health bloggers and social media mavens who are the Patient Opinion Leaders in their disease areas -- whether cancer, diabetes, MS, mental health, HIV, and a long list of other chronic conditions. Just as pharma companies recognize and reward Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) for their knowledge of patients and prescriptions, the Consumer Opinion Leader (COL) will become influential for both other consumers and, increasingly, stakeholders like health plans and pharma companies.

JSK

Comments

[Janet004]

Interesting enough, I read a recent article that mentioned the problems of web 2.0 health, namely that "over reliance on external information, a process of disintermediation between patients and healthcare professionals and erosion of the patient-physician relationship."

while I see the author's point, I think it is apparent that web 2.0 can provide users/patients with a wealth of information that their providers cannot supply (and not at a detriment to the patient/pcp relationship). Take http://www.rvita.com for example. This site is an up and coming web 2.0 alternative medicine portal. The truth is, there is no other place where individuals who are seeking alternative treatment for their chronic conditions can go to research their condition, find an effective remedy, connect with an appropriate CAM provider and others with similar
conditions or experiences. There is also nowhere else that a PCP can go to research options for patients who come to them with questions about alternative treatment. It is arguable that a site such as this does not create a gap between patients and providers, but rather, can actually bring patients and providers together to find an effective treatment.

[Ranae Whitmore]

It is true that many consumers are in a decision-making mode but others are simply desperate for information and/or support. While most sites allow for anonymity, consumers are allowed the freedom to speak candidly and share information without fear of reprisal. Further, there is no good reason or financial benefit to disuade the consumer from being truthful when providing information to other members.

Additionally, there is an instant connection with someone who has been there and, if that person has been successful with their treatment or the path they have chosen, they are quickly granted credibility.

In the instance of weight loss, who would you believe, the doctor who recites the same thing each time you visit who has either (1) never had a weight problem and doesn't know the experience or (2) has a weight problem and doesn't take his own advice? On the other hand, if you see someone who has successfully lost weight, they have experienced what you have experienced and felt the way you are feeling, an instant relationship/bond is formed on a primal level.

With the decline of healthcare coverage in this country and the high cost of medical care, patient social networking, the information shared and the friendships formed are the wave of the future.

Health 2.0 companies may find it beneficial to build their programs from the consumer-experience up to gain the results they wish rather than the viewpoint from the top looking down and then trying to figure out what it takes to engage the consumer.

This can definitely be a win-win situation between consumers, their physicians, the social networking sites, healthcare insurers and other Health 2.0 companies. In this consumer's humble opinion, those who understand this quickly will be the companies that survive and come out on top.

[Jose HC]

We all agree with the fact that the way we (as consumers and patients) search and consume information has changed drastically over the last few years (i.e. Web 2.0) and the commercial opportunities are enormous. As an interesting aside, I wanted to note that a natural (and dangerous?) extension of all this is a patient self-diagnosing and deciding without professional medical advice what they should do or shouldn't do: "It's not a big deal... I read about this guy whose rash eventually went away!"

[J Englund]

This analysis and the data from iCrossing is spot on about how much people use social media to get health information. The numbers must be even higher than the 34% overall within various demographic groups that use social media more heavily -- like our constituency, college students. The opportunities are massive for innovation, and we have put together several grant proposals harnessing some structured peer education elements to test the potential significant health and wellness revolution that could result.

[chuckiesd]

Interesting survey made my iCrossing. I think the mostly user around the wolrd taking a social media for thier communication. The people who always working on social media, the also need the Health Information on soocial media source. So its very good future if health information is placed at Social media section. Maybe it another way to pass all health information to all Internet User.