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Jul
13
Posted by Alison Aldrich on July 13th, 2010
Posted in: Technology
Staff at the National Library of Medicine have been working to develop NLM’s social media presence and to make more of NLM’s online resources accessible on mobile devices (see Mobile MedlinePlus and these iPhone apps). Susannah Fox, Associate Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, was recently invited to NLM to share the latest data about how Americans of every living generation are using the Web to look for health information.
Susannah posted an excellent synopsis of her talk at e-patients.net. Ponder these points:
“… chronic disease has an independent, positive effect on an internet user’s likelihood to use social media for health: to blog, to contribute to online health discussion, to access hospital reviews, doctor reviews, and podcasts.”
“… although most of our ‘oldest old’ and least-educated are offline, they may have what we call second-degree internet access via their loved ones and friends. Half of health searches are conducted on behalf of someone else, not the person with their fingers on the keys…”
“… if your organization’s information isn’t accessible and readable on a small screen, it’s not available at all to some groups.”
How are you responding to mobile and social trends in your organization? How do you think NLM should respond? Join in the conversation at e-patients.net.
ABOUT Alison Aldrich