Presentation: Mobile, Social Health at National Library of Medicine (NLM), Susannah Fox Speaks! (Two Presentations)
Yesterday, Pew Internet and American Life Associate Director and ResourceShelf friend, Susannah Fox, gave a presentation at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, MD. That presentation is available here or via e-patients.net
Let's take a look at Susannah's presentation and share what we believe are to be a few of many highlights. Btw, this presentation is what we would call link-rich and should be read and MINED for useful materials.
+ Focus on Presentation: How people become activated seekers of health information.
+ "Half of health searches are conducted on behalf of someone else, not the person with their fingers on the keys, for example."
Note: We wonder how many of these searches take place at a hospital or public library vs at home. Last week we posted about a health library (part of Stanford Hospital) in a Palo Alto, CA. that actually has trained medical librarians working there. A stat we posted yesterday from Carla Hayden, CEO of the Pratt Library in Baltimore, makes access to computers AND professionals in places like libraries and hospitals even more important. Hayden said that, "30 percent of the population has no home computer access."
[Snip]
When segmenting the online audience, remember that most internet users age 65+ stay in the shallow end of the pool -- email and info-gathering -- while younger internet users tend to venture to the deep end -- uploading video, creating blogs.
There are exceptions, of course, and Pew Internet is tracking what may be an X factor: wireless internet use. We have identified a "mobile difference": wireless connections have a significant, positive effect on an internet user's likelihood to engage in social media.''
+ 84% of 18-29 year-olds now go online wirelessly,
+ 20% of wireless internet users go online exclusively on a cell phone.
+ I've said before, if your organization's information isn't accessible and readable on a small screen, it's not available at all to some groups.
+ Two-thirds of those who look online for health information usually talk about it with someone else.
+ How are you [NLM] contributing to the spread of facts, the spread of science, the spread of evidence?
Note: In our view the National Library of Medicine does a superb job spreading science and spreading evidence. They have been been offering mobile tools long before the Android and iPhone. The challenge is how do you get the word out that:
1) Quality and Currency of Health Information is Essential
AND it changes OFTEN.
2) That Every Health Info Site is Not the Same
3) Where to Turn for More Information that You Can Rely On (MedlinePlus has two excellent resources).
4) That Beginning Your Search with a Specialty Search Engine/Database Can Provide Better Results and Save Lots of Time
5) Cliche Yes, But More Important than Ever Before: Don't Believe Everything You Read.
Susannah asks, "How can the NLM seed conversations happening online and offline, to spread good information and good behaviors?"
1) When it comes to consumer health NLM or MedlinePlus or something else (but not NIH) must become a synonym for health info. They must get to the right people and get them talking. This is what another well-known company did, they're name is Google.
2) Differentiate Between PubMed and MedlinePlus (The Right Tool for the Right Job)
3) Should the NLM seek more placements [did NLM pay for these placements or are we talking organic search] such as these? Should the NLM maintain its own brand or should the National Institutes of Health emerge as the stronger, overall brand?
They should must maintain their own brand.
1) Search results can change at a moments notice.
2) Not everyone uses Google
3) Is their just one book about health in the bookstore?
3) When Yahoo begins using the Bing database that will increase market share for Bing results. How is NLM Preparing?
4) Again, Google should be used as an example on how to reach out and get "influencers" to use the product and tell others about it.
Bottom Line: NLM has to be both a sly marketer and a teacher. Marketing their wonderful products and services and training people why they are better and that they are not hard to use. Of course, this must be done on a limited budget vs. other well-known and commercial health sites.
See Also: Susannah also gave a presentation last week (July 8, 2010) at NLM titled: "Generations Online and the Social Life of Medicine." You can find that presentation here.
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