Online Communities in Healthcare

From Information Systems at Pitt Business

Chronic disease management, patient support groups, integrated care teams for rural and underserved populations, and contining education for isolated and innovative healthcare professionals - these are just of the few of the contexts in which social computing technologies are being borught to bear to augment, and potentially transform, heathcare delivery. As social networking technologies, wikis, blogs, and other Web 2.0 technologies and techniques gain acceptance and reach there is increasing attention given to how these technologies can be used (and sometimes misused) to provide support, information, and assistance for both patients and health care professionals.

This presentation by Professor Brian Butler describes the key technologies and techniques associated with Web 2.0, outlines fundamental principles underlying successful social computing initiatives, and discusses key challenges that developers and leaders face when working with online communities.

To see the presentation slides...