Digital health experts meet on Twitter

Europe’s experts on the use of online engagement in healthcare are using microblogging site, Twitter, to set out a framework for using social media to put patients at the heart of Europe’s healthcare systems.

The group, which is made up of more than 140 digital healthcare experts including e-patients and healthcare providers, aims to drive the adoption of social media and health 2.0 across the European healthcare sector.

It meets on Twitter every Friday to share current thinking and to discuss how to drive the movement forward.

However, after eight months and 30 online debates, the group has now met for the first time in the real world at an “unconference” in Berlin.

Andrew Spong, founder of STweM, a social media consultancy for the scientific, technical and medical community, and part of the group said: “The unconference features representation from the UK to Greece, and from the Netherlands to Italy, with each participant bringing their particular local perspective to bear on a set of international healthcare issues.”

“It is important that we recognise the effort that members are going to in order to convene in Berlin or online.

"By providing as much time as possible for open debate, rather than presentations or panel discussions, the unconference format is ideal and will undoubtedly deliver great results for us.”

The unconference has asked members to develop a view of the current situation and to set out the potential value of social media to the healthcare sector.

Specifically, it is asking where the opportunities for better communication between the medical community, patients and the pharmaceutical industry lie and what might be done to ensure appropriate progress is made.

The results from the unconference are likely to be published next week.

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