Healthcare communications and marketing news and information

In March 2008, I was invited by Janice Nall of the CDC’s National Center for Health Marketing to give a presentation to the American Health Information Community (AHIC) Consumer Empowerment Workgroup. (Disclosure: CDC is an Envision Solutions client.)  The Workgroup is charged with (among other things) helping to encourage the “widespread adoption of personal health records [PHRs] over time.”  The Workgroup has solicited commentary and advice from a range of players in the PHR arena, including Microsoft.  To learn more about the Workgroup’s efforts, please click here.

During the March meeting, I gave a presentation focusing on how Americans have adopted social/interactive media technologies.  In my talk, I discussed how some misconceptions (e,g, the digital divide – at least when it comes to race – is insurmountable) do not stand up to the evidence.  This presentation was designed to introduce the concept that social media can potentially be used to help drive uptake of PHRs.

In this month’s Workgroup meeting, (which took place yesterday) Nall presented some recommendations on how social media can help enhance the functionality and acceptance of PHRs.  Her social media-related recommendations, which you can view here, are:

-Use social media to engage existing and PHR users in the dialogue about the technology
-Engage social media and marketing leaders in the PHR development process
-Develop formal marketing plan to incorporate data into a research-based marketing plan

Here’s where Nall is asking for your help.  There is a lot of knowledge in the blogosphere about PHRs and social media.  Thus, she would like you to weigh in on the recommendations and present other ideas on how social media can improve the acceptance and adoption of PHRs.  If you’d like to contribute to this conversation, please leave a response (as extensive as you’d like) in the comment section below.  I will gather your comments and deliver them to CDC and the Workgroup for their next meeting.  Ultimately, the Workgroup will select certain recommendations, which will be presented to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt.

Thank you in advance for your help.  I look forward to reading your recommendations.

Image Source: NYU Stern School of Business