Update: Video and text from Susannah’s talk are available here.
Susannah Fox discussed the social life of health information and its potential for transforming health care.
Pew Internet’s research has shown that many American adults are using the internet to gather and share health information, supplementing the care they receive from health professionals with peer advice.
We are also tracking the X factor of what we call the “mobile difference“: wireless connections have a significant, positive effect on an internet user’s likelihood to engage in social media.
In health, there may also be a “diagnosis difference.” Our research on chronic disease found that living with such a diagnosis also has an independent, positive effect on a person’s use of social media for health.
Susannah presented her observations of the current health landscape and a preview of upcoming research projects.
