Some healthcare startups are modeling themselves after social-networking sites such as MySpace in an effort to encourage patients to share information on illnesses, treatment, and doctors. Before the new wave of Health 2.0, patients were connecting with one another through chat, IM, and forums. The Web 2.0 generation has taken this interaction further to develop patient tools from online wikis to user-generated video upload. Below is a snapshot of some Web 2.0 patient communities.
- TauMed
Taumed is a health community that is constantly reinventing itself with new applications and features. Its goal is to be a “metagator for health.” Since its mid-December 2006 launch, TauMed has developed a “Yahoo Answers” like feature for health, video sharing, as well as mobile service. Although it calls itself a “virtual health community,” it acts more as a health search engine to find relevant information.
- DailyStrength
DailyStrength is a site that aggregates treatment information and provides the opportunity for groups to be developed around a specific disease. Patients discuss their struggles, pain, as well as give each other supportive virtual hugs. Conditions have wikipedia definitions, relevant aggregated Yahoo news, and patient testimonials on treatments. While DailyStrength was developed with the intention of providing support, some patients are commenting that the site is filled with depressing comments more so than inspiration. Sometimes misery doesn’t like company.
- IMedix
IMedix is part search engine, part online community. The site has a digg-like feature that allows users to vote up/down on disease search results and lists valuable tidbits such as whether or not the site is accredited. Other features include the ability to message members.One of IMedix’s core is its blogging community, which adds as another type of health resource. Despite the two available types of sources available: patients and sources from the web, IMedix lacks the ability of separating authoritative information (information written by healthcare professionals) from that of general users.
- MyOpenCare
MyOpenCare is an interesting site that is a mashup of several tools. Medical knowledge is furnished through a variety of formats: text, image, and uploaded video. The Wi-Care section is a wiki area for patients to share knowledge in regards to a disease state. The H-Book allows users to track their treatment effectiveness in the form of graphs and text. E-Care diary acts as an online electronic medical record with a medication alert system. Finally, the site has a search feature that allows users to quickly locate relevant ranked information. There are currently very little users on MyOpenCare.
- Healthcare
Healthcare is a community for both health professionals as well as patients. Health professionals have the opportunity to create their own homepage, blog, as well as have their own personal online address to advertise themselves . Patients are able to share, sort, and discuss content. The site’s strategic move to allow doctors to create their own homepage provides an incentive for doctors to join while establishing the site’s legitimacy.
- MyCancerPlace
MyCancerPlace is best described as a Myspace for cancer patients. From the layout to the features, it mimics MySpace in functionality and features. The founder is Michael Horwin, who is the editor of Cancer Monthly. His 2-year-old son had died from brain cancer in 1999, prompting his desire for a space that provided a community for cancer patients to discuss treatment options.
- PatientsLikeMe
PatientsLikeMe was developed by MIT engineers. Unlike the other communities, the site has a platform to share outcomes-based data. The site currently focuses on three conditions: Lou Gehring’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Disease.
- OurHealthCircle
OurHealthCircle was launched by three Berkley students. Users create anonymous profiles and join groups to talk about a disease state or condition. The site reminds me of a better looking “Yahoo Groups.” The site is easy to use. Users type in a disease condition, and results are shown with “Circles” that are developed around that condition.
11 comments
Comments feed for this article
November 20, 2007 at 1:57 am
Jeefo
there is also http://www.mdjunction.com which is online support groups ect’
November 20, 2007 at 3:10 am
Michelle Nguyen
Hi Jeefo,
Thanks for the note. I will include that in the next Patient-community mashup
November 20, 2007 at 11:27 am
Sarah
There’s another website that’s related named wellocities which is also a brand new health community health community website, looking nice.
and as for imedix, I’ve used their product several times, loved the live community, got great search results (hence I’m still using it quite frequently), never did I find a blogging community on imedix and furthermore I think it’s not accurate to say that imedix lacks the ability of separating authoritative information from that of general, for they don’t have any written content on their site and all the information you will find there is from organized search engine web results which, if I may say, are much better than google’s.
November 20, 2007 at 11:55 am
Michelle Nguyen
Thanks so much Sarah for tip about Wellocities and the IMedix correction, I don’t know what I was thinking 🙂
November 20, 2007 at 12:36 pm
A Bevvy of 2.0’s
[…] about their various medical conditions–support, information, references, all shared online. HippocraTech does a good job of reviewing some of the better known online platforms for patients and support; […]
November 20, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Jim
Michelle please don’t be so hard on yourself, you’ve managed to gather so many patient support community websites, and I thank you for that.
Must say I also agree with Sarah, lovely discernment BTW, and that I myself am a member of the iMedix community.
Even though I’ve been there for only a couple of weeks, I find it super insightful, I like it’s interface and I think that it’s built correctly to get better and better the more people join and use it.
The whole idea of patients helping other patients by sharing their experiences is embedded there perfectly.
I’m very exited and just love the way the internet recently started going in Healthcare’s direction. Perhaps this is our way to finally better the U.S Heatlhcare system.
Respectfully,
Jim.A
November 21, 2007 at 4:07 am
Jeefo
good for them LOL….
i’m not sure i get imedix – can someone explain?
dailystrength is nice too!
November 21, 2007 at 6:02 am
CancerSurvivor
I tried some of the social networkds you mentioned. None were as well attended or as active as one that you did not mention: CancerMatch at http://www.cancermatch.com . CancerMatch is free and run by survivors, for survivors like me. CancerMatch is where I found a woman who reccomended me to the doctor who saved my life, so I am very keen on it.
November 30, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Overview of most popular posts « HIPPOCRATech
[…] BioHeart heart-broke after halving its IPO Value Mashup: Healthcare Communities Online Small list of the current social networking sites available for […]
December 2, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Amir
Hi there,
Just wanted to let you know about Inspire (www.inpsire.com) which has been around for a few years. It partners with established patient advocacy groups e.g. Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Lung Cancer Alliance, National Osteoporosis Foundation etc. and powers their online community feature. Just a different take on the online patient communities.
Amir
December 30, 2007 at 11:41 am
MyOpenCare Announces “Create an H-Book and Win Company Shares” Contest « HIPPOCRATech
[…] Tags: HEALTH, HEALTH 2.0, Healthcare, myopencare, web 2.0 MyOpenCare, a health site that we previously mentioned has announced a compelling […]