Odds are good that at some point in time, you’ve gone online for medical purposes. And more than likely, you’ve participated in some level of health conversation on the social web. But in case you don’t have time to read about multiple medical topics from multiple sources on multiple social platforms, I’ve got you covered.
I’m going to share some of the ways patients, caregivers, and physicians are using forums to gather useful information and build meaningful relationships. Yes, there are also blogs, Twitter, and a number of other ways the social web is connecting the health industry, but let’s focus on one thing at a time— the forum.
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WebMD has long been the starting place for ePatients looking for a primer on a disease state or some context for a pesky symptom. 60 million visitors a month find answers there.
In the last year, the go-to site has been feeling pressure from all sides. Health information competitors – from Google to Revolution Health – started winning with some health searchers and destination communities – from disease state chat rooms to iGuard – are connecting with ePatients who want to know more about the experience of “someone like me.”
WebMD’s member-driven forums just weren’t keeping up.
Today, they launched a game changer: WebMD Health Exchange. It gives people the ability to connect with world-class health experts and other WebMD members to exchange real experiences, discuss personal challenges, and receive direct answers and support:
Members can create their own private or public communities about health and wellness topics. But, they can also access the advice of experts.
These Expert Health Exchange communities will be led by specialists from renowned health and medical organizations and patient advocacy groups. For example: Physicians from Duke Medicine will provide expertise for communities ranging from asthma to rheumatoid arthritis. Experts from the National Health Council, National Osteoporosis Foundation, American Gastroenterological Association, North American Menopause Society, and the American Veterinary Medical Association will lead related community discussions, as will Dr. Pamela Peeke on diet, Dr.David Colbert on skin and beauty, Dr. Robert Harrington on heart disease, Dr. Susan Evans on skin problems and treatments and bestselling author Richard M. Cohen on living with health issues.
There’s a specific opportunity for pharma here, too: The WebMD Health Exchange will enable third party sponsors to create branded exchanges and to host consumer discussions on specific health and wellness topics most important to them. Over time, those communities can be transitioned to members or evolve to a lasting dialog between patients and brands.
