Wednesday 9 March 2011

Launch of #HCSMUK 16th March 2011

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If you are reading this post you will undoubtedly be aware of the highly successful and for me, inspiring #HCSMEU tweet up that takes place every Friday at 12.00 UK time.


The vision for #HCSMEU is stated as follows:

'To drive forward the adoption of social media across Europe in order to improve the quality, access, value and effectiveness of health care delivery to patients.'

There have been a number of local branches of this core group that have sprung up over the last year. with the intention of augmenting the central #hcsmUK vision with a more specific and in depth discussion about issues affecting a specific geography.

I feel that the UK could benefit from a 'local' #hcsmUK group, meeting every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 12.30 UK time for one hour. I think at this stage, and as only one voice it would be wrong to state a grandiose mission statement for the UK affiliate. However the vision I have is that we can discuss the impact social media and broader technological innovation has on the UK healthcare landscape.

Although the issues facing healthcare and incredibly universal, there are some very local UK issues that spring to mind immediately. Just a few examples could include:

1) The NHS and it's use of modern communications and new media, the IT 'project' (RIP) and the broader issue of EHR in the UK, NHS reform etc etc.

2) The e-patient in the UK and how this has/will/is affecting patient advocacy. .

3) The pharma landscape, regulation and working within the ABPI.

There are, I am sure, many better examples than this we can get our teeth stuck into.

For #hcsmuk to work however it is I feel essential that the broadest possible stakeholder group for healthcare  is represented in the discussion. This obviously means the NHS community, patients and patient advocacy, science and research, , pharmaceuticals, agency both medcomms and creative design, advertising and of course media (in all its guises).

In short everyone is welcome and everyone has an important voice and part to play.

More info about how to submit questions to follow in a separate place to this blog.

Hope this makes sense to people and of course comments and suggestions very welcome, both here and on twitter @hcsmUK or @alex__butler

The first #hcsmUK is scheduled for Wednesday 16th March 2011 at 12.30 GMT.
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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for stepping up to lead this new addition to the hcsmX family (Google 'Healthcare Hashtags' for a link to @foxepractice's great resource).

    Talking of which: be sure to reach out to the Fox folk in order that they may start archiving hcsmUK. It's a boon to help time-poor healthcare hashtag curators... such as yourself, now! ;)

    Looking forward to continuing to expand and democratize the conversation with you on 16/3.

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