Digital tools that facilitate conversations: Understanding the

social health experience Craig Lefebvre, PhD

Alexandra Bornkessel, MA

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To me the ideal doctor would be a man endowed with profound knowledge of life and of the soul, intuitively divining any suffering or disorder of whatever kind, and restoring peace by his mere presence. ~Henri Amiel

Providing Optimal Healthcare: The Doctor

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Connected health continuously aggregates personal data from multiple stakeholders to “connect” the patient to the optimal tool or provider that can address needs immediately and in the most appropriate and cost-effective manner. ~Grameen Research

Providing Optimal Healthcare: Connections

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Participatory Medicine is a movement in which networked patients shift from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health, and in which providers encourage and value them as full partners. ~Society for Participatory Medicine

Providing Optimal Healthcare: Participatory

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Digital Connections for Health & Healthcare

Integrative and Ubiquitous Digital Health Experiences

Figure 1: Social network site use by age group, 2005-2012 (adapted from Pew Internet and American Life Project surveys: February 2005, April 2009 and August 2012).

The Health Care Dyad and Digital Health Experiences

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Motivations for Participating in Online Communities and

Social Network SitesGeneral Term

Entertainment

Social Enhancement

Maintaining Interpersonal Connectivity

Self-discovery

Get Information

Provide Information

Convenience

Source; Kamal, N., Fels, S., & Ho, K. (2010, October). Online social networks for personal informatics to promote positive health behavior. In Proceedings of second ACM SIGMM workshop on Social media (pp. 47-52). ACM.

Social Identity Theory and Social Media Use

Component

Social Categorization

Social Identity

Social Comparison

Psychological Distinction

Sense of Belonging

Source; Kamal, N., Fels, S., & Ho, K. (2010, October). Online social networks for personal informatics to promote positive health behavior. In Proceedings of second ACM SIGMM workshop on Social media (pp. 47-52). ACM

User behavior in online health communities (OHC)s

• Need for Answers. OHC membership motivated by desire to learn more about own (or loved one’s) health condition.

• Stumble Across OHCs. Membership idea often planted by Web search results or self-directed research.

• Cautious. Healthy skepticism of members, information.

• Verify Information. Cross-check OHC info with online resources and healthcare providers.

• Personal Experiences. Discussions revolve around personal experiences with medications, self-care.

• Starting Point. OHC info used as starting point for health decisions. Supplements provider advice, other research.

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Source: Rupert, et al. (2012). How do online health communities influence treatment decisions?

Creating Social Health Experiences• 42% use social media to

look up consumer reviews of health treatments or physicians;

• 25% share their own health experiences on social media websites; and

• 20% belong to a health forum or online health community.

PricewaterhouseCoopers. Social media “likes” healthcare: From marketing to social business. 2012.

Outcomes of Social Health Experiences

• Health information obtained through social media sites would cause them to seek a second opinion (45%);

• Influence their choice of a specific physician, hospital or medical facility (41%);

• Affect how they manage a chronic condition or approach diet and exercise routines (40%); and

• Be considered in their decision to take certain medications (34%). PricewaterhouseCoopers. Social media “likes” healthcare: From marketing to social business. 2012.

Reminder: The data and discussion from this

presentation are available at http:xxxx

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