The Niche Market In Healthcare
Copyright (c) 2012 Social-medicine.org
Social networking has been exploited in many service sectors, but remains unheard of in healthcare. Health related social networking sites exist but the greater population does not know of them. The new arena of social networking in the healthcare sector will soon become a mainstream market, as the need for sharing information, patient to patient, relating to medical conditions is increasing. These social sites aim to give disease and illness suffers a voice, and brings people together on a global scale, to connect and discuss medical conditions.
Patient written health content online is a means to drive this niche market of social networking in the healthcare sector. As opposed to top-down information, generated from doctor-to-patient; patient-to-patient sharing information is seen to be tailored for people suffering with similar illnesses, so they would be able to better manage their illness, knowing what other people have experienced.
People suffering with an illness or disease, turn to the Internet and search for the following topics: 1. Remedies, products, treatments and their cost 2. What has or hasn't worked for others 3. The reputation of certain practitioners
The results found on any of the above searches often result in more questions. Patients want to be able to discuss their answers or their findings on these topics with other patients who have also experienced similar situations.
Health related content written by real people, suffering from medical conditions, are increasing in both supply and demand. However, this could be risky as people may take other patient's practices into their own hands without seeking medical advice in advance. However, this is unavoidable, as there are many forums and social networking pages appearing online with such content. It is solely up to the patient to understand the risks and benefits of what has worked for others and seek medical advice prior.
Social networking sites that are directly related to medical conditions, or have health communities embedded within their platforms, are rare to find. Social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have taken off and have become a part of our everyday life. Facebook and Twitter connect us to our friends, while LinkedIn connects us to our professional colleagues. However what site connects us to our health?
Social networking sites in the health sector is a niche market that brings people together on a global scale, to connect and discuss medical conditions. These sites are growing in popularity but patient written health content online is a means to drive this niche market of social networking in the healthcare sector and is increasing in demand.
About the Author
Social Medicine http://www.social-medicine.org a health based social networking site, helps people suffering from many health conditions to globally connect, share information and help others in similar situations, by bridging the gap of patient-to-patient and patient-to-practitioner communication, and has all the social networking features and functionality expected by society.
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