Healthcare (social media) Reform

Karen M. Cheung at Fierce Healthcare noted today that last week, Mayo Clinic launched its own version of a free, open social networking community. The newest social networking site promises to be unlike other existing medical group or hospital online communities. With Mayo's 500,000 patients and 50,000 employees and students around the world, the social community is aimed at "connecting patients with each other and with others interested in learning more about Mayo Clinic or a particular health interest," according to the website. It includes discussions, news articles, Mayo Clinic blog posts, and videos. The Mayo online community adds on to a growing list of Mayo's social media popularity. Mayo already has the most popular medical provider YouTube channel, about 200,000 Twitter followers, and 53,000 Facebook connections, according to the blog.

I predict that these types of ventures will become an growing part of health protection and healthcare delivery in the future. The world is changing. The healthcare system though, is changing at a far slower pace with respect to the use of information and communications technologies in healthcare and Public Health. While many within the system would regard this intentional slow pace as good, protecting the system and patients alike from the potential harms of most passing fads, in reality, it is also a double edged sword, slowing system wide progress, limiting healthcare value and contributing to growing dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the current healthcare system. What is needed is an entirely new health and care paradigm. Not just one that seeks to find ways to use new tools, but one that is unafraid to explore new and better ways of accomplishing old goals and conducting business. Whenever I hear providers talking about what they “cannot” do or what “will not happen”, because they “don’t” or “can’t see how they can get paid for “doing it”, it really makes me sick. While I understand what they mean, these often very intelligent, committed and well-meaning providers are essentially openly admitting that neither they nor the systems, in which they practice, are committed to continually challenging customary conventions or seeking the best possible solutions for their patients. They are not committed because they cannot get paid for being committed. This attitude, in my opinion, while understandable, is still none the less sad, unfortunate and stifles innovation. I submit to you today, that most providers, faced with the same population health challenges they face today, who somehow also miraculously were given whatever resources they need, would not know how to spend those resources to eliminate the problems they face. Sure, the money would certainly be spent, but the problems (like disparities) would remain. Similarly, fixing the way we pay for healthcare is largely impossible, if we don’t know what to do to consistently and systematically improve health. “Value” in healthcare and public health is health improvement. As such, many Americans are seeing less “value” in the healthcare that they are able to get. We should commit ourselves to creating and proving the effectiveness of tools, interventions, processes or anything else we may need to improve health, healthcare quality and outcomes while reducing costs. As we do so, payers will emerge. They would be foolish not to seize proven strategies that improve health and or reduce costs. They also should NOT pay for anything that has no effectiveness.

While it appears that Mayo is taking this step primarily (though not exclusively) for marketing purposes and brand development, the potential for achieving far greater health improvement, healthcare quality, patient safety, cultural competency, population health and disparities reduction goals are possible within the reality they are creating. Perhaps time alone will tell if Mayo realizes and seizes these opportunities or relinquishes its front runner status, along these lines, to not only those who see this vision, but are also committed to making it happen.