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HealthConnect Report2012

Table of Contents

03 Intro & Bios

04 Introduction to HealthConnect

Key Findings05 Primary Uses

05 Social Media

06 Patient to Patient Communication

07 Mobile Applications

07 Self-Health Management

08 Doctor-Patient Facilitation

09 Content Management Solutions

10 Health Activism

11 Current Discussions

12 Investing in Healthcare

13 Obstacles

14 Best Practices - Industry Focused

15 Best Practices - Client Focused

16 Predictions for the Future

17 Recommendations from thirdocean

18 Resources

19 Sponsors

HealthConnect Report2012

Intros & Bios

WHO IS thirdocean thirdocean is an agency based out of Toronto, ON founded in 2011 by Karim Kanji and Carolyn Van.

We offer social media marketing communications and community management. We pride ourselves on being experts in the social media space, effective marketing communications, facilitating online communities, being able to create engaging and interactive content, seeding conversations and creating positive sentiment towards the brands we work with.

thirdocean’s services compliment traditional marketing initiatives and digital communications initiatives - providing an increase in audience reach, measurable results and the ability to keep on top of an audience’s pulse.

Results matter to us as much as they matter to you. thirdocean helps you work towards greater business results using social interaction and digital communication. We craft together solutions that solve your specific needs.

Website: www.thirdocean.com Email: makingwaves@thirdocean.com Twitter: @wearethirdocean

WHAT IS XCONNECTXConnect is a thirdocean project designed to explore movements and shifts that new media are setting off in various industries.

WHAT IS HEALTHCONNECTTechnology advancements for the healthcare industry are readily available – at home self-health management solutions, mobile apps and cloud content management systems have all been developed to provide better care. However, government regulations and funding are among some of the hurdles these stakeholders face when looking to implement these solutions.

HealthConnect seeks to bring together healthcare professionals, industry experts, vendors and other key stakeholders to facilitate and encourage conversation and positive technological changes that will benefit the healthcare industry.

Many of the resources and articles used in this report as well as full coverage of our 2012 HealthConnect event can be found at

www.xconnectto.com

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HealthConnect Report2012

Introduction to HealthConnect

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Social Media and new technology have had a significant impact on recent changes across all industries. They affect how:

• Consumersinteractwithorganizations • Organizationsinteractwitheachother• Informationiscommunicatedacrossalllevels • Dataiscollectedandmadeavailable

Thehealthindustryisnodifferent.Althoughmanyhealthorganizationshaveenteredthesocialmediaworldbehind other industries, there are efforts in play to benefit from these new solutions.

There are significant opportunities available for the healthcare industry in social media and new technology. Allowing for patients to take their own health management into their hands, doctors on different continents being able to interact in real-time and streamlining information sharing between a series of hospitals are a small example of what is available. However, privacy issues and government regulations in the healthcare industry lead to a conservative outlook on implementing new solutions.

HealthConnectseekstolookathowpatients,organizations,healthcareprofessionalsandITprofessionalsusenewtechnologyandsocialmediatobenefitthehealthcareindustry.Itwilllookatindustryopportunitiesandobstacles,discussingwhateachstakeholdercandotomaximizethesolutionsthathavebeenmadeavailableto them.

HealthConnect Report2012

Key Findings

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PRIMARY USESOverall, the healthcare industry is extremely reliant on technological advances. New research methods and collaborative opportunities, alternative patient care options and better management systems for extremely private information all result from these new advancements. Social media and new online technology options provide any healthcare system with an opportunity to provide better care.

SOCIAL MEDIAConsumer access to social media has exponentially increased and many industries are now establishing the best ways to use these platforms to benefit key stakeholders. The healthcare industry cannot afford to be left behind as social media can act as a complimentary tool to traditional healthcare programs.

HealthConnect Report2012

Key Findings

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PATIENT TO PATIENT COMMUNICATIONSocial Media platforms are designed to connect people and provide an opportunity to interact with individuals globally. This advancement has led to the ability for patient to patient communication, which can be advantageous for individuals with chronic illnesses who are feeling socially isolated due to their illness.

Crohnology is an online community developed by Sean Ahren’s for individuals suffering from Crohn’s or Colitis disease. The objective is to have patients discuss their illness, treatments and experiences, and feel a sense of connection to others with the same symptoms. Approximately 1 in 172 Canadians suffer from Chron’s, many of whom may otherwise feel isolated with their disease if it were not for the online support they receive through this community.

HealthConnect Report2012

Key Findings

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Key Findings

MOBILE APPLICATIONSTo date, there are over 13,000 consumer health apps available in iTunes. This statistic is evidence of what is available for individuals and the healthcare industry. The emergence of mobile applications has led to the opportunity for doctors and patients to connect without face to face interaction as well as patients managing their own health program.

Velo Mobile, an app initiated in Central America and being introduced to North America, is a mobile application that allows healthcare professionals to connect with patients over text message. As cell phone penetration is estimated to be nearing 100% globally, Velo Mobile is using SMS messaging to allow for Doctors and Healthcare professionals to connect with patients, book/cancel appointments and ask basic health questions.

SELF-HEALTH MANAGEMENTOnline communities and mobile applications provide a great opportunity for end-users to take responsibility for their own health management. With so many available apps to count your calories, remind you to exercise, take your pills and even test your blood sugar level it is almost inexcusable that one does not work toward a healthy lifestyle.

MyFitnessPal is an app where someone can manage their healthy active lifestyle. Ifsomeoneislookingtoloseweight,countcalories, track exercise, MyFitnessPal is a solution that encourages healthy active living. This app goes so far as providing recommendations on a weekly basis as to what someone may need to cut out of their diet (i.e. too much sugar, saturated fats etc.). Health apps such as MyFitnessPal give individuals a great opportunity to manage their health at home before illness strikes.

HealthConnect Report2012

Key Findings

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DOCTOR – PATIENT FACILITATIONSeveral apps have been developed to assist in doctor – patient facilitation. These apps have been created to assist patients in finding the shortestpossible wait time to see a physician, allow for doctors to connect with their patients without human to human contact and manage regular visits for patients with chronic illness. Overall while patient wait times are expected to increase between 2012 and 2013 , mobile advancements are providing a solution to combat these wait times.

HealthAware is an application, targeted at women 30+, that aims to better facilitate booking your appointments. The application assists an individual in finding the right kind of healthcare pro-fessional a patient needs, evaluating wait times and assisting in booking appointments. The App is a great example of streamlining Doctor – Patient facilitation to provide faster, more efficient service.

HealthConnect Report2012

Key Findings

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CONTENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONSSolutions for the healthcare industry are not only for the end user. Cloud Content Management Systems allow hospitals and other healthcare professionals to connect in a more efficient way. Acting as an excellent project management tool, CMS solutions are able to facilitate workflow, ensure correct sharing of documents and manage essential timelines.

WebPal is a Cloud Content Management System developed byPalominoSystemInnovationsInc..PalominohasimplementedthisCMSintoseveralhealthcareorganizationsto manage workflow and provide a better avenue for document sharing. CEO,MarkusLatzelspoketoKarimKanji of thirdocean on XConnect about implementing the solution into a series of 5 hospitals in Nova Scotia who were workingwithadecentralizedsystemthatdidnotallowforsufficient patient document sharing. Palomino was able to streamline their Content Management Solution so all healthcare providers were able to access the information they needed.

HealthConnect Report2012

Key Findings

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HEALTH ACTIVISMSeveral patients see the social space as a way to get their voice heard. As one person, versus healthcare providers or the insurance firms, it can feel like a lonely road when dealing with illness or disease. Many patients and sufferers use Facebook and Twitter as a way to rally other patients and supporters together to influence the course of their results.

InMay2012,CourtneyRenderusedthehashtag#CureforCourtney to help generate funds for a stem cell treatment to treat her Hodgkins Lymphoma. Within 2 days her campaign went viral as she attempted to raise $600,000 for the cost of treatment, a cost otherwise prohibitive to the family.

HealthConnect Report2012

Current Discussions

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SocialMediahasbecomeagreatavenueforpatients,healthcareprofessionalsandITexpertstoconnectanddiscuss the future opportunities available with new technology.

#hackinghealth – Hacking Health is an organizationthatfacilitatesconversationbetweenhealthcareprofessionalsandITexperts. They recently ran hackathons in Toronto and Montreal to get professionals interacting face to face while facilitating online discussions throughout the year to keep conversation and inspiration flowing.

#hcsmca –Isatwitterhashtag–andcommunity – that connects healthcare professionals through online conversation. Contributors include doctors, nurses and various other industry experts discussing and sharinginformationonhowHealthIT,socialmedia and technology can better the industry.

#HITsm –IsaregularTwitterchatheldonFridays where industry professionals in the healthcareandITsectorcancollaborate.These groups come together to discuss topics including; opportunities and obstacles faced when introducing new technology to the health care sector.

#HCTO – HealthConnect a month long research study and event that is part of a seriescalledXConnect.Organizedbythirdocean, HealthConnect brought together industry professionals and interested parties todiscusshowsocialmediaandHealthITinfluence the healthcare industry.

HealthConnect Report2012

Investing in Healthcare

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FINDING THE RIGHT GUIDANCEFor many mobile and social start ups in the health care industry, finding the right guidance to navigate the industry space is important. Learning about the regulations and obstacles a start up may face, along with receiving recommendations from experts already navigating the field increases the chance their technology will be successful. An estimated $700 million had been invested into healthcare by mid-year 2012, indicating there is open opportunity available.

MaRS in Canada and Rock Health in the United States are excellent resources to those start ups navigating the medical space. Rock Health offers up to $100,000 in investment to projects along with an office space, mentorship and expert guidance from industryexpertsatorganizationssuchastheMayoClinic. These incubation programs allow for advancement in medical technology that may otherwise be hindered due to government or industry stipulations.

HealthConnect Report2012

Obstacles

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GOVERNMENT REGULATIONSRegulations for healthcare in first world countries are inplacetoprotectcitizens.TheCanadaHealthActhas over 150 stipulations in place to protect its citi-zensfrompoorhealthcare,poorfoodproductionandmaintaincitizenrights.However,theseregulations also place burden for new technology entering the field.

INDUSTRY RELATIONSMany of the Content Management Systems hospitals and doctors are working with are older technology, despite the amount of new technology available. As a vendorfortheHealthcareIndustry,suchasHealthAware, it is often very difficult to penetrate the industryduetoIndustry-VendorRelations.Introducingnewvendorstoanoldsystemtakestimeand funding many small new vendors do not have.

PRIVACYRegulationssuchastheFreedomofInformationandProtectionofPrivacyAct(FIPPA)areinplace,againtoprotecttherightsofcitizensinOntario.Thehealthcare industry is bound by these regulations as itrelatestosharingpatientinformation.Itisputuponthe patient to allow for this information to be shared. Farid Kassam, during HealthConnect, mentioned “as consumers, we have a lot more control on privacysharing.”Inorderformedicalprofessionalstobe able to access some of the great new technological advancements, it is necessary for patients to share that information.

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS46% of the Canadian budget has been spent on healthcare, yet we still find budgetary constraints across the board. Paying for professionals and facilities is the top priority, but currently the focus is treating illness and disease. We mostly rely on outside support for managing our own health. As Farid Kassam at HealthConnect said, “Doctors should be paid to keep us healthy!”

INVESTMENTSIncubatorandacceleratorprogramsarecurrentlythebest way to solve funding issues for startup organizationsinthehealthcarefield.ManyVentureCapital firms are very hesitant to enter the space due to regulations in place. Nikolai Bratkovski of HealthAwarespoketotheneedtocapitalizeontheprograms that are available while at the same time also educating these investors on why the healthcare industry needs their funding.

INSURANCESocial Media is an excellent tool to connect patients so they are able to speak about their illnesses or diseases, discuss certain treatment options or how they reacted to each treatment. The insurance industry is slowly entering this market as a customer engagement tool. However, it is not yet proven what risk this information-sharing tool can have on impacting the cost of insurance. With more information being shared online, will it affect what a patient pays to stay healthy?

HealthConnect Report2012

Best PracticesIndustry Focused

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EXECUTIVE EDUCATIONAs Dr. Karim Jessa mentioned at HealthConnect, “Doctors are geeks!” Many doctors and other healthcare professionals are open to embrace new technology. They want to be at the forefrontofthismovement.Itiseducationatthetoplevel of management that is necessary. Whether it is a series of hospitals that need a streamlined Content Management System so they are able to share information, or embracing a new app technology that allows diabetes patients to use their iPhones to test their blood, education of the benefits needs to be communicated at the top level.

CONNECTING WITH COLLEAGUES#hcsmca and #HCTO allow colleagues within the industry to connect with each other. Healthcare professionalsshouldbecapitalizingontheopportunities available to interact with other industry professionals, they may not otherwise meet, over the social media space. Just as we have identified many individuals with chronic illness who may otherwise feel isolated without online communities, doctors in remote areas or within specific specialties may feel isolated from their peers without an online connection.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENTAWEGOHealthActiviststudyindicatedthatPfizeris the most engaged pharmaceutical company on social media. Using the tool as patient engagement tobeginwith,Pfizerhastakentheleadininteractingwith patients. Using social media not as a sales tool, but as a way to connect with your patients is excellent. Although 47% of participants in the WEGO Health Activist Study have negative impressions of the large pharmaceutical companies online, it has identified that steps are being made at levels ofhealthcaretoconnecttoplevelorganizationstoend-user consumers.

HealthConnect Report2012

Best PracticesPatient Focused

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STEWARD OF SELF-HEALTHThe App industry and online communities allow for individuals to take health matters into their own hands. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle or maintaining yourillnessfromhomehasneverbeeneasier.Itistime for individuals to start acting as stewards of their own well being.

CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITYConnecting with a community who shares the same view or is undergoing the same experience can be incredibly beneficial to someone who is feeling trapped by their illness or grieving. Connecting with a community, as opposed to venturing into the online social space alone can also give an individual the strength and support they need.

UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONSHealthcare professionals are effective at communicating the biomedical parts of an illness, yet their knowledge of a patient’s options or their ability to speak to the social or psychological part of your illness can be limited. As an individual, research and understand what alternative options you may have. Know what benefits each app or online community provides you with before choosing one specific avenue to gain further information.

VOLUNTEERING INFORMATIONThe online space has given everyone an opportunity to share more information than they would have 20 years ago. People are willing to give their address to winatrip,ortheiragetogetfreemakeup.Individualsneed to feel more willing to share their information with the medical industry. Volunteering information can lead to new research and discovery, as well as provide insight into how the healthcare system can be better managed to react to patients. As Dr. Karim Jessa mentioned during HealthConnect “The patient loses when the industry lacks the information need-ed.”

HealthConnect Report2012

Predictions for the Future

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As many areas of the healthcare industry are now entering the social media space, there is significant opportu-nity for advancement and adoption.

APPLYING APPSNew technology provides endless opportunities; there are almost 13,000 available apps for patients and medical professionals that are not fully integrated intothesystemandover30,000HealthITsolutionsavailable . As developers continue to challenge the status quo, the number of opportunities will only increase. The global possibility for healthcare to embrace this new technology, not as a negative change, but a positive solution will lead to better application.

USING TRADITIONAL AND CURRENTTOGETHERAs Abigail Keeso mentioned in her interview with XConnect,“Iseetheseonlinecommunitiesactingascomplementarytherapytotraditionalmedicine.Ithinkthey allow patients to feel empowered to take control of their health.” As the industry and patients begin to embrace the possibility of the online space and traditional healthcare as a compliment to one another, there is a greater opportunity for continuous care.

USING TRADITIONAL AND CURRENT TO-GETHERGovernment funding, Venture Capital Firms, Angel Investors,andothersallneedtorecognizewhatopportunities are available for new innovation in healthcare. There needs to be a shift from the negative connotation associated with change in the industry, to evaluating the solutions new media and new technology provide to better the care given.

MOBILIZATION OF PATIENTS TO ENCOURAGE BETTER TREATMENTAs social media becomes inherent in everyone’s daily lives,seeingpatientsmaximizetheefficiencyofsocial media to impact change will increase. As we have seen over 2011-2012, Helene Campbell, a 20 year old woman from Quebec in need of a lung transplant has become an international advocate for organ donation. Social media has allowed her to connect with individuals like Ellen DeGeneres and communicate her story to the world.

MASS COMMUNICATIONSocial Media can also assist with emergency situations as an outbound communication resource, in particular during times of medical surge capacity. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) made the decision to provide updates over Twitter so users would have better access to their travel information and make more informed decisions on their transit planning.

During a critical illness outbreak emergency services such as hospitals, urgent care centers or phone support, i.e. Telehealth Ontario, can be flooded by patients due to the fear that health scares can create. Using platforms such as Twitter to communicate prevention methods, critical updates and to interact with individuals who may have questions can help in reducing the sudden influx of patients and better manage community concerns.

HealthConnect Report2012

Recommendations fromthirdocean

KISSKeep it simple.Medical technologies are being unnecessarily designed too complex. The design and functional-ity of medical devices and apps needs to change. And fast. Here’s why: Caregivers (doctors, nurses, specialists and family members) are not, in most cases, properly trained on how to use various apps, devices, and other medicaltechnologies.Designingofthesetoolsandprogramsneedstobekeptinmind.It’snolongersafetoassume that just because a medical professional is highly trained that they will know how to use these devices. Keep the patient needs in mind: Keep things simple and effective so that care can be delivered fast and effi-ciently.

BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTIONThe success of apps such as BANT (designed by the University Health Network and The Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto) can be traced in part to understanding how and why people behave. BANT is not your regular diabetes measurement app. BANT also includes the ability to connect with a community as well as earn cool gifts via their rewards program. An early case study showed that use of this app increased the chances of teens testing their sugar levels by almost 50%.

I WANT MY DATAProvincial legislation must be enacted and enforced to ensure that patients own and control their health records and information. Professional healthcare providers must make available patients’ records so that they can begin to “own their health” rather than leaving it up to the system. The more we, as consumers of our own health, take care of ourselves, the better we will be able to use the system. Simple tools like cloud documentation or USB sticks can facilitate this.

PATIENT INSIGHTS AND PATIENT DRIVEN EFFORTInallindustries,customersneedtofeelempoweredandhavetheabilitytohavetheirinsightsheard.However, while customer needs are key - it’s not the only need that exists. We all wish it was that simple. Balancingcustomerneedswithgovernmentandclientgoalsisanoteasy.Inthehealthcareservicesindustry,patients must be given opportunities and the tools to share, collaborate and track their insights. While we are sure that almost nobody would argue against this, the unserviced opportunity seems to be the “how” - and not only the “how” but “how best to”. Healthcare professionals should have reliable and valid sources of constantly updated information populated by health care patients to assist them with direction in research and health care patients should have user-friendly and safe tools to input their insights and progress.

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PRIVACY VS. BETTER CARETo think that today’s patients will oppose to having their information shared amongst healthcare professionals -isanassumptionbasedonpasthumanbehavior.Ifpatientsknewthathavingtheirinformationsharedwouldlead to better health care they may at the very least entertain the idea. Nowadays, people are slowly but surely understanding the correlation between user and customer data and end products and services. The year 2012 and beyond equips us with the technology and tools that allow us to seamlessly facilitate the sharing of this data.

HealthConnect Report2012

Resources

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i. Crohnology.com

ii. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/15/social-media-and-chronic-disease/

iii. https://gust.com/c/velo_mobile_health

iv. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

v. http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/06/19/wait-times.html

vi. http://healthaware.ca/

vii. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/24/video-palomino-and-healthcare-it/

viii. http://www.globaltoronto.com/woman+uses+twitter+to+raise+money+for+life+savin-g+stem-cell+transplant/6442643423/story.html

ix. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/10/video-in-conversation-with-life-sciences-and-healthcare-analyst-at-mars/

x. http://www.marsdd.com/

xi. http://rockhealth.com/

xii. http://rockhealth.com/incubator/

xiii. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/home-accueil/search-recherche/a-z-eng.php#h

xiv. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90f31_e.htm

xv. Inpersonevent–HealthConnect,October24th,2012

xvi. http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/01/24/bisa0124.htm

xvii. http://www.mmm-online.com/pfizer-jj-novartis-and-sanofi-tops-in-social-media-say-patients/article/264107/

xviii. http://www.mmm-online.com/pfizer-jj-novartis-and-sanofi-tops-in-social-media-say-patients/article/264107/

xix. http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/7/17/number-of-health-apps-rising-but-download-rates-remain-low.aspx

xxi. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/19/the-present-and-the-future-of-online-health-communities/

xxii. http://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-woman-recovering-from-double-lung-transplant-1.792706

xxiii. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/12/can-healthcare-afford-to-not-be-on-social-media/

xxiv. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/12/can-healthcare-afford-to-not-be-on-social-media/

HealthConnect Report2012

Sponsors

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A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS