The Core Constructs Enabling the Social Dimension of Healthcare

Providers and payers are deploying digital and social media within traditional healthcare systems to improve productivity, deliver new and better services that strengthen patient relationships, and broaden the reach of those services. There are many constructs that can be employed to build, participate and support this emerging social dimension.

The Constructs Most People Are Familiar With

Most people are familiar with the various social media platforms, tools and methods depicted in the above graph. None of these truly standalone but are related to each other and support each other. And some of these constructs will be more or less prominent and important to certain people. For me, five of these constructs are key to my participation in the social dimension of healthcare. All other constructs support and feed these five:

Influencers – I follow, search for and depend on certain thought leaders for specific topics.

Tweetchats - I participate in tweetchats to obtain and exchange information with others. Whether like-minded or not.

Online Forums - Similar to tweetchats, I participate in online forums- aka "discussion groups" to obtain and exchange information with others.

Meetups – Meeting with people is an important to gain information and understanding that is otherwise difficult to obtain in a purely online world.

Blog Posts – I share my thoughts and information via blog posts. Most of that information is obtained by via the above four constructs.

What About You?

Have you given much thought to the social constructs you employ most frequently? And which provide the most value to your participation in building, participating and supporting your social dimension?

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