Create content: use assets not deficits
Jinfo Blog

By Joanna Ptolomey

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I create a lot of content. Not just here on the LiveWire and over in FUMSI but in my specialist area of healthcare. I like to think that what I create supports good health for people and healthcare service delivery. Imagine my surprise over this last couple of years when the realisation hit me that my content may never have had the reach or reaction I had intended.

Like many industries, healthcare can be driven by a few providers with many stakeholders having no voice or route into airing their view. The digital medium coupled with social media tools has created a way for all stakeholders to express their views. The question still lies in the field engagement: how can all content stakeholders participate and the process be fully inclusive?

In the next couple of weeks I will be reporting from two very different but similar events – both in healthcare and around health information.  People (patients) will be front and centre but the role of other stakeholder groups will be discussed.

Firstly, I will be attending and reporting from the independent consumer health information organisation Patient Information Forum (PIF) - Rise of Consumer Health Information. I will be live tweeting from the event using the official hastags - #pifglasgow and #patient information.

The PIF event looks at a broad array of issues in providing consumer health information from the many stakeholders. Stories from patients, co-design from providers, accessibility and literacy issues, information prescriptions from cancer support organisations and public service delivery models from statutory bodies. It looks to be an interesting day and I will blog the main themes for the LiveWire.

I will also be reporting from DigiPharm – a major digital content pharmaceutical/healthcare event. It was a great event last year where some of themes included social media guidelines for employers, gaining support for digital engagement and workflow content flows and sharing.

The themes for discussion this year include business organisation for the digital future, corporate communications, social media monitoring,  regulatory compliance, physician and patient engagement (with case studies). I will be live tweeting on the 28 and 29 September (#digipharm) and of course sharing the themes on the LiveWire.

Over many years I have worked in health content and what constantly surprises me is the difference between what providers think we as the public/patients need and what we actually want: there has been a lack of co-design.  This has led to poor quality content that can be difficult to find and access, produced by a few providers. I am prepping for Internet Librarian 2011 and my talk will be on chaperoning/stewarding health content – that could mean anything from drug intervention quality assured content, to Rock Choir classes, great dog walking areas and cafes, wheelchair walking clubs, welfare rights and housing needs.

In healthcare there is a move now to stop reinventing wheel at every turn by using an assets approach to creating content. I am hoping to see and hear more about this at #pifglasgow and #digipharm.

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