Online health seeking
How Social Networks Can be Health Communities
NAHSL Conference - Libraries in Balance
October 25, 2010
Newport, R.I.
Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project
PewInternet.org
Apology
3
4
“Lee Rainie, director Pew Internet:
incredibly how many words he in a
sense and a minute weet to
pronounce!”
April 12, 2010
5
we need a tshirt, "I survived the
keynote disaster of 09"
“Tweckle (twek’ul) vt. To
it's awesome
in the "I don't
want to
abuse
a speaker
to Twitter
turn away from the accident because I
followers
the audience
might see ain
severed
head" way
while he/she is speaking.”
Too bad they took my utensils away w/
my plate. I could have jammed the
butter knife into my temple.
6
Apology
Revolution 1
Internet and
broadband
October 22, 2010
7
Impact of internet revolution
• Volume, velocity, variety of info increase
– Long tail, passions/distractions
• The “people formerly known as the
patients/audience” become publishers and
broadcasters – and pundits/critics
– 2/3 of online adults and 3/4 of online teens are
content creators
• The “Daily Me” and “Daily Us” emerges as people
customize info flows
– >50% of adults customize digital info
Apology
Revolution 2
Wireless
connectivity
October 22, 2010
11
Cell phone owners – 85% adults
All adults
100%
90%
80%
Ages 18-29
Ages 30-49
Ages 50-64
Age 65+
96%
90%
85%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
58%
Mobile internet connectors – 57% adults
All adults
Whites
Blacks
Hispanics
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
62%
59%
55%
New cell and wireless realities
• More than 2/3 of adults and 3/4 of teens use the cloud
• Web vs. apps struggle: 35% have apps; 24% use apps
• Features used by cell owners
– 76% take pictures
– 74% are texters (text overtakes talk in frequency in 2009)
– 39% browse internet
– 34% are email users
– 34% record videos
– 34% play games
– 33% play music
– 30% are IM-ers
– 7% participate in video calls
Impact of mobile revolution
• Information, media, people available anytime,
anywhere, any device
– Venues and availability of people and info shift
• People “control the playlist and “make the
appointments” with media
• People’s attention to info and to others shifts
– Truncates – “continuous partial attention”
– Elongates – deep dives into subjects
Apology 3
Revolution
Social
networking
October 22, 2010
16
Impact of social network revolution
• Tech social networking combines with other historic trends
to transform social networks
– Affluence and affordable technology, mobility, family
composition and roles, labor markets/free agency, rise of DIY
politics and religion
• What’s changed in social networks
– Composition - tightly-bound, close groups give way to more
loosely-knit, diverse networks – more segmented and layered
– Way people use them – more important in stressful
environments
• Social networks are more vivid and tied to creation of
information/media
– Merger of “real world” and “new media world” in a way that
makes media more personal = social media
Each of the revolutions has changed
health care searches and interactions (1)
• Internet
– Empowered and engaged – 61% of all adults
get health info online (80% of internet users)
– Participatory e-patients – 60% consume
social media; 29% have contributed content
– Crowdsourced via e-patients: 19% consult
rankings/reviews of providers (5% post
them); 18% consult reviews of hospitals (4%
post them)
Each of the revolutions has changed
health care searches and interactions (2)
• Mobile
–Real-time – 17% use mobile phone for
health info; 7% have health apps on
handhelds
–Over-represented among young,
minorities, urban residents, upper SES
–NO FEMALE/MALE DIFFERENCES
Each of the revolutions has changed
health care searches and interactions (3)
• Social network
– “Last search”: 48% for others; 36% for self;
11% for both
– Read others’ commentaries: 34%
– Find others who have same condition: 18%
– Get info from social networking site: 11% SNS
users
– Get info from Twitter: 8% of Twitter users
How online searches affect decisions (1)
• 60% of e-patients say the information found
online affected a decision about how to treat
an illness or condition.
• 56% say it changed their overall approach to
maintaining their health or the health of
someone they help take care of.
• 53% say it lead them to ask a doctor new
questions, or to get a second opinion from
another doctor.
How online searches affect decisions (2)
• 49% say it changed the way they think about
diet, exercise, or stress management.
• 38% say it affected a decision about whether
to see a doctor.
• 38% say it changed the way they cope with a
chronic condition or manage pain.
What technology has done to social
networks and the role librarians can play
in them
• Made it possible for experts like librarians to
become “nodes” in people’s networks that can
help them solve problems and make decisions
• Allowed for immediate, spontaneous creation
of networks that can include librarians
• Given people a sense that there are more
“friends” their networks like librarians that
they can access when they have needs
June 25, 2010
24
The networked world of e-patients
What providers are good for
• Diagnosis / treatments
• Prescriptions
• Recommendation for
specialist
• Recommendation for
hospital
• Info on alternative
treatments
What others are good for
• Emotional support
• Practical advice for dayto-day coping
• Recommendation for
quick remedy for
everyday issue
Implications for librarians – 1
Reasons to re-vision your role in a world where
much has changed
- Everyone’s access to information is easier
- Value of information is in flux
- Curating information means more than
maintaining collections
- Creating media is easier – so, networked creators
can be your allies
- Established scientific methods are being
challenged and there is a public yearning for
trusted “tour guides”
June 25, 2010
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Implications for librarians – 2
You can help teach new literacies
- screen literacy - graphics and symbols
- navigation literacy
- connections and context literacy
- skepticism
- value of contemplative time
- how to create content
- ethical behavior in new world
June 25, 2010
27
What social networks do for patients:
Why librarians can be “nodes”
• Attention – act as sentries
– alerts, social media interventions, pathways
through new influencers
• Assessment – act as trusted, wise companion
– help assess the accuracy of info, timeliness of info,
transparency and rigor of info
• Action – act as helpful producers/enablers
– help give people outlets for expression,
interpretation of their creations
Good news about new info ecology
Have you or has anyone you
know been HELPED by
following medical advice or
health information found on
the internet?
Have you or has anyone you
know been HARMED by
following medical advice or
health information found on
the internet?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Major help – 10%
Moderate help – 20%
Minor help – 11%
No help – 50%
Don’t know – 4%
41%
Major harm – 1%
Moderate harm – 1%
Minor harm – 1%
No harm – 94%
Don’t know – 3%
3%
Be not
afraid