Web 2.0 use represents a profound departure from previous learning and decision processes which were normally controlled by senior medical staff or medical schools. There is widespread concern with the risk of poor quality information with Web 2.0 use, and the manner in which physicians are using it suggest effective use derives from the mitigating actions by the individual physician. Three alternative policy options are identified to manage this risk and improve efficiency in Web 2.0's use.
Background
The term Web 2.0 became popular following the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004; however, there are difficulties in its application to health and medicine. Principally, the definition published by O'Reilly is criticized for being too am
"One of the most innovative educational resources in the field, Radiology 2.0 presents teaching files in a way not previously seen; the 2.0 denotes the next generation in interactive radiology education."
Work Literacy Web 2.0 for Learnig Professionsals is a Ning group which was run as a 6 week course provideing an introduction to some of the Web 2.0 applications which cna be used in education. Although the course is now over you can still join the group and take a look at the various resources which procide a helpful introdyction to blogs, RSS feeds, wikis and socail bookmarking etc.
"We launched this project because we believe a set of guidelines is very much needed either for medical professionals and patients, and pharma about using social media properly and legally. This open access guide created collaboratively by the most important online voices of pharma and web 2.0 was meant to help facilitate this process."
A great slideshare presentation on how Web 2.0 is changing the practice of medicine. Can use to consider how to create more relevant medical education programs.
This is the homepage for the Web2Rights project funded by JISC and developed to help academics and students gain abetter understanding of IPR issues and other legal issues in relation to Web 2.0. The site includes use-cases, a blog and discussion forum and links to an ip toolkit and ip diagnostic tool which will take you through a project you are working on help identify any IPR issues which you need to consider.
HeLMET is a JISC funded project based run by the University of Manchester which is applying Web 2.0 to support on-line consultation and brainstorming in distributed communities of practice.
Commoncraft make some excellent videos which provide a helpful introduction to many Web 2.0 applications such as RSS feeds, blogging, social networking, wikis etc. These videos are available in YouTube, but Commoncraft are now making them available via their own website under a creative commons licence.
The Internet increasingly serves as a platform for the delivery of public health interventions. The efficacy of Internet interventions has been demonstrated across a wide range of conditions. Much more work remains, however, to enhance the potential for broad population dissemination of Internet interventions. In this article, we examine the effectiveness of Internet interventions, with particular attention to their dissemination potential. We discuss several considerations (characterizing reach rates, minimizing attrition, promoting Web site utilization, use of tailored messaging and social networking) that may improve the implementation of Internet interventions and their associated outcomes. We review factors that may influence the adoption of Internet interventions in a range of potential dissemination settings. Finally, we present several recommendations for future research that highlight the potential importance of better understanding intervention reach, developing consensus regarding Web site usage metrics, and more broadly integrating Web 2.0 functionality.
Hospitals and health systems are utilizing Web 2.0 tools to improve staff communication, recruit for research, facilitate networking and build the hospital's brand. A number of hospitals are reporting that tools like YouTube (for Webcasts) can significantly increase traffic to the hospital's site. Mobile CIOs can stay in touch with IT staffs from the road by sending and receiving Twitter updates. Social media can break down hierarchal boundaries by making C-suite executives more easily accessible to others in the organization. Sites like LinkedIn and Plaxo can be a valuable tool for CIOs looking to fill positions or network with peers.