Envisioning a scenario for health care social media

Relaxing in a hammock (a Fathers Day gift), I imagined some social media possibilities.

As the grey squirrels frolicked in the trees above and a soothing breeze gently rocked my hammock, I pondered a possible scenario for social media in health care.

I envisioned a lively blog, with super-interesting posts from healthcare leaders. Doctors, nurses, psychologists, therapists, nutritionists and others shared their wisdom on a variety of timely topics. They helped people understand the most compelling — and often complex — issues of our time. They spoke about everything from how to make healthcare more affordable to steps you can take to prevent serious health problems. They kept a pulse on hot topics and made valuable contributions to the conversation.

In addition to the written word, they communicated via concise videos on a YouTube channel. They got to the point quickly for those who only had a minute or two to spare to absorb the information. 

The blog posts and channel videos appeared on a regular schedule planned in advance.

Audiences came to look forward to the posts. They subscribed for alerts so they wouldn’t miss the week’s or month’s newest addition. They liked Facebook and LinkedIn pages and followed Twitter accounts tied to the blog and channel. They shared posts with their friends and followers because the info was too good to keep to themselves.

Over time, they developed connections with the experts. They asked them questions on their blogs and video channels, as well as live online chats, Google+ hangouts and webinars that followed. They began to see them speak on TV and radio. They went to see them speak in person.

They felt a deep connection. They wanted to turn to them when health questions or challenges occurred.

Behind the scenes, a social media strategist worked with a team of writers, videographers, web developers and graphic designers to help the experts polish up their content. The strategist developed an editorial calendar and measured views and interactions. As time went on, the strategist tracked visits to landing pages on websites and conversions such as making an appointment with a doctor.

The scenario didn’t just include owned and earned media. It was supported by paid media such as boosted Facebook posts and promoted tweets.

In the end, the experts were very pleased to tap the power of social media to connect with key audiences in a scale never before possible. And those in the audiences got to know, like and trust the experts to the point that they made appointments with their organization when they needed health assistance.

Wow, it was fun thinking about the possibilities! Amazing where the mind can go on a relaxing Saturday in the back yard.

 

 

Content marketing basics, social media trends

The journey to success in communications, marketing and public relations starts with the basics.

If you want to have a successful communications, marketing and/or public relations campaign or program, you must start with the basics. That beamed through clearly in talks this week by Krista Neher of Bootcamp Digital at Cincinnati IABC and Daniel Brockdorf of Caesar’s Entertainment at Cincinnati AMA. It’s vital to build upon those basics by implementing the latest and greatest available.

Brockdorf spoke about driving customer loyalty through content and measurement. It was interesting hearing how successful organizations start with the fundamentals to break through the ever-growing clutter of loyalty programs. As you can imagine, it can get quite sophisticated as marketers perfect the science of analyzing big data and delivering content at the precise point that an individual is receptive to it. But, as Brockdorf stated: It all starts with the basics… and many skip or shortcut the following steps for various reasons. They include:

1. Purpose
2. Audience
3. Message
4. Channel
5. Frequency
6. Execution

Neher, meanwhile, shared 10 new strategies and tools for social media. She covered trends and topics, such as:

1. Sharing your story in a faster, more relevant way. People are overwhelmed, so you’ve got to get to the point.
2. Keep it short. In this era of Twitter and Vine, you must connect quickly and poignantly.
3. Real-time communication. If you wait, the story goes on without you. Speed is of the essence.
4. Real photos and real stories. User-generated content helps people buy into your messages. Only 14% trust ads, while 78% trust referrals.
5. Instagram and visual content. Our brains process images much more quickly than text.
6. Pinterest. Be creative with this visual social network. For example, use it as a resource guide for your target audience instead of forcing people to dig through your website.
7. Be interesting. Present content in a positive, compelling manner. Don’t be boring, or dull!
8. Be prepared to spend money on social media. It’s not just an earned or owned channel for interacting with your key audiences.
9. Stop talking about yourself. Get other people to talk about you. Partnerships are important.
10. Infographics. Include them in your marketing and communications mix. They can convey a lot of information quickly and are very sharable.

Both speakers went into detail about all of the above points. But, as Krista advised, I’m going to keep this brief!

 

 

Convergence of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Word of Mouth (WOM), Content Marketing, Social Media = Opportunity

Krista Neher of Boot Camp Digital welcomes participants to the first SIMEngage conference in Cincinnati. Krista and others helped us better understand the convergence of earned, owned and paid media.

After hearing Jason Falls‘ opening keynote talk at the SIMEngage (Social + Internet Marketing) conference May 15 at Memorial Hall in Cincinnati, I remarked to a colleague that I had already gotten my money’s worth.

Falls, a true social media marketing pioneer, spoke about the convergence of PR, Content Marketing and Social Media, with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Word of Mouth (WOM) in the middle — and the tremendous opportunity this presents for organizations to achieve their strategic goals.

He started with a quick explanation of SEO, and how Google crawls pages searching for keywords.  The most relevant content comes up first, based on 200-some factors. Moving up in search rankings is our role, helping boost rankings in search engines. An old goal with SEO was getting more inbound links to your website, using tactics such as online press releases with links. This still helps, but two years ago Google changed the ranking system.

SEO has become an earned media approach. You need to provide content that people care about. Become a thought leader. Create great, unique content that resonates with your audience. Share content in social media. Promote it.

Falls pointed out that social media ranks high in searches. Social profiles appear on front page of Google and Bing results. Social media directly impacts how websites rank, according to Google. Google+ might be relevant only for that reason.

You have about seven seconds to win a customer. You must figure out your moments of truth. What are your audience members asking when they are getting ready to buy? When are they making decisions? What are they asking? When can you provide relevant content and engage them?

This is important because Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing is 62% more effective than an ad! And media coverage, paid, etc. boost SEO and WOM. Gets people talking about you online and offline.

“Search cannot exist in a vacuum” Falls said. “PR, search and social must be integrated for you to succeed.”

What does it take to develop earned content that will drive your SEO? Creative content. A great user experience. Relationships and storytelling. A dash of technical geekery.

“Content is the currency for building social relationships that boost earned media,” Falls said, adding these nuggets:

• What is great content — Original (from you), Simple, Valuable and Useful, Entertains, Emotional (laugh, cry). Above all the content must be relevant to your audience.
• Key considerations — Who is the audience you need to reach? Why will they care about you? What are you doing to earn their interest? What incentive do they have to share?
• Finding topics — Ask your sales team, Mine the buying cycle, Q/A sites like QuoraYahooAnswers, mine social media, follow industry and peers.
• Next: Answer questions with blog post, video… American Express Business Forum is a good example. Others: H&R Block and the American Moustache Institute to lobby Congress for $250 tax credit. The Stache Act.  Million Moustache March, etc. Make  your profile. Point: Got H&R block in conversation for men 24-30, and it worked.

Back to the basics: Earned, Owned and Paid media can help build trust, likability

Lots of great presentations and conversations at the SIMEngage conference in Cincinnati. Got me thinking about the basics.

Sometimes, I find my mind swimming in facts and details. It seems I’m always reading a half-dozen books about PR and marketing, attending meetings and conferences, viewing blog posts and videos… My mind feels like it’s on overload.

Then, a brief chat with someone will bring me back to the basics. That happened during a break in the fantastic SIMEngage conference this week in Cincinnati. While sipping coffee and connecting, a friend and I agreed on these points:

Basic No. 1 — People do business with those they know, like and trust.

Basic No. 2 — Earned, Owned and Paid media are great avenues for achieving No. 1. Earned media is traditional PR — pitching stories to TV, radio, magazine, digital journalists and bloggers. Owned media is going direct to your audiences via your own blog, newsletter, YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc. And Paid media is advertising. (By they way, the speakers at SIMEngage did a great job of explaining the confluence of all three under the umbrella of Content Marketing.)

Basic No. 3 — If you want to understand how social media works, you need to set up a LinkedIn account (or Facebook, or Twitter, or whatever) and devote some time to it. You can’t have someone just tell you about it. You have to participate to learn.

Sounds pretty, eh, basic. Not for some people outside of the PR, marketing and digital worlds. We can provide great value by helping them better understand the basics.

In fact, if anybody wants assistance with any of the above, please contact me. I’d be glad to help you achieve your goal.

 

Don’t underestimate the importance of Research in your brand journalism strategy

If you researched Cincinnati, you would learn about landmarks such as Fountain Square, the Carew Tower and Roebling Suspension Bridge. Research is the first step in the strategic planning process, as important in developing an effective communication plan as it is in deciding what to see on a trip to a new destination.

Imagine going on a trip to a new city. You might Google the city’s name, look on Wikipedia, browse through travel guides, talk to friends who had been there before… You might find out about the cool restaurants, landmarks and aspects that align with your interests. You might do some homework, some research before planning what you could want to do.

Or, let’s say you were the coach of a football team getting ready for your next game. You would probably watch video of your opponent from the matchup a year earlier and in games this season leading up to the contest. You would confer with scouts who had seen the competition. You would view media coverage. Etc. You would do your homework, your research, while developing a game plan.

It’s no different with planning a strategic brand journalism program!

If you are Accredited in Public Relations (APR), you know well that Research is the first step in the strategic process: Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. And that there is Primary and Secondary Research.

Primary Research involves one-on-one interviews, surveys, focus groups and the like.

Secondary Research includes a review of articles and video about a topic, studying what others have done to solve the problem under consideration, conferring with professions in your networks, etc.

Both are very important, as you move on to the Planning phase.

Example — I feel extremely fortunate to have been involved in a foster parent recruitment campaign that was deeply researched. My role involved researching portions of the campaign that would help build buy-in from internal audiences. You would think that social workers would be very enthusiastic about a $1 million campaign designed to attract 200 badly needed foster parents. My research showed the opposite. Many of the workers expressed cynicism about the planned campaign. They didn’t support the strategy. They feared it would bring in “wide-eyed suburban do-gooders” not suited for the demanding (yet rewarding) role of foster parenting. They were bad-mouthing it!

So, we came up with a multi-faceted campaign that included a brief weekly e-mail with four key points for frontline managers to share with their teams. We asked frontline managers to address concerns and share them with us. We identified who the go-to team leaders and caseworkers were — those that most social workers trusted and admired, not necessarily those with high ranking on the org chart. We took the time to educate them and listened to their concerns, so they could serve as positive ambassadors for the campaign. We held an event, with food and a “sneak preview” of the TV commercials and print ads. When caseworkers complained that they wanted Whitney Houston music instead of Sarah McLachlan, we did focus groups with the target audience — which loved the music — and shared the findings with the social workers. We did surveys to see if social workers grasped key messages and were supportive. As the campaign generated results, we took environmental portraits of new foster parents for spotlighting in our newsletter, on our intranet and in a gallery in the cafeteria.

This was a campaign where we had the time and money to do it right. It went to the top of our priority list, and leadership supported us in putting secondary priorities on temporary hold. It won some awards… and, most importantly, met the goal of attracting 200 foster parents.

But, my point is, it all started with Research. Just like when you’re researching a trip to a cool place like Cincinnati!

 

Tips for those moving from journalism to public relations

If you build upon skills developed in a journalism career, a future in PR could blossom. (Photo of shrub in my yard.)

From time to time, journalists ask me for thoughts on moving into public relations. Somebody tells them about my shift to  PR a couple of decades ago after a dozen years as a newspaper reporter and editor. So I get the opportunity to share what worked for me — and hopefully will help them. Here are a few of the things I did. (By the way, I don’t regret the career change at all.)

(1) Strategic outreach to my network (although I didn’t know it at the time). I sent letters and resumes to contacts at companies I admired and knew were doing well, and followed up with phone calls. I had the great fortune of doing in-depth research as part of my job as a business reporter, so I knew who they were. I didn’t hear back from many of them, got rejection letters from others… Then, one called and said he was working to create a position in the corporate communications office he led at a computer software firm. That landed my first job in PR. I put my background as a reporter to use pitching stories about our software to trade journals and writing customer success pieces.

(2) Join the Public Relations Society of America and start attending its monthly meetings. My first manager encouraged me to join. He said it would be a good place for me to keep up with the pulse of the local PR scene, which would help us identify good candidates if our office expanded and keep us up to date with the latest in PR and communications. He also joked (sort-of) that a single guy like me might find a wife in an organization with so many women. I did end up meeting my wife at an Internal Association of Business Communicators (IABC) meeting!

(3) Connect with people at PRSA meetings. As a business reporter,  I had learned a few things about networking at events. One tip was to set a goal of exchanging several business cards at an event. Take time to ask each person where they work and what they do. Ask where they went to school, etc. Be sure to have a concise description of your role and/or career objective rehearsed and ready, and bridge to it when appropriate. When you leave, jot a note or two about each person on the business card that will help with followup. Be sure to connect on LinkedIn, if you haven’t already.

(4) Reach out to your contacts when the seemingly inevitable happens. I had only been in PRSA for about a year when my first PR job was eliminated as part of a company-wide downsizing. I e-mailed and/or called people in PRSA I barely knew, and several of them gave me good leads. They steered me away from dysfunctional situations and pointed me to possibilities I didn’t know existed. For example, I had seen an ad that stressed desktop publishing ability, which I didn’t have. But a contact who had a freelance job with the government social services agency suggested that I call anyway. Within two hours, I had an interview! Within two weeks, I had a job — one that would keep me gainfully employed for the next 17 years! My manager viewed the ability to write interesting and informative articles in AP style and on deadline was much more valuable than desktop publishing, a skill that could be learned in a relatively short time.

(5) Get your APR (Accredited in Public Relations) from PRSA. This was a game-changer for me. It taught me about areas of PR beyond media relations and newsletter/fact sheet writing. It showed me how to develop strategic communications programs. Now, it’s part of my DNA — Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. I’ve had the great fortune of developing and carrying out plans with worthy goals such as getting employee buy-in for an important foster parent recruitment campaign, making an intranet an essential part of employees’ workdays, and building awareness for a a previously low-key healthcare system.

(6) Get involved in PRSA volunteer opportunities. Another major step came when I joined the leadership team of the Cincinnati PRSA chapter. I gained invaluable experience about event planning while serving as programming chair and, more importantly, about leadership during my year as chapter president. I made amazing contacts, many of whom I now consider good friends. I learned how to work collaboratively with diverse groups of talented individuals. Five times, I served as a National Assembly delegate, which allowed me to connect with PR go-getters from across the country.

(7) Never stop learning. As time goes on, I find myself endlessly reading PR, marketing and digital strategy books and blog posts. I attend not just PRSA meetings, but offerings of groups such as the American Marketing Association, Cincinnati Social Media, the Social Media Health Network… This is a vast field, with lines between PR, marketing, communications and advertising blurring as never before. Technological advances come faster and faster.

(8) Follow the leaders on social media. Twitter opens the door to a treasure trove of valuable information — white papers, infographics, podcasts, videos, webinars… Hashtags take you to conferences around the globe focused on PR, marketing, digital, healthcare communication, innovation, inspiration… you name it. You get access to well-known authors and speakers as never before. LinkedIn is awesome. Facebook and Google+ and YouTube, oh my!

(9) Don’t take yourself too damn seriously. This is just a note to me. I can get super serious and stressed out about this stuff. Lighten up and have fun. The journey into PR is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the process!

 

Just what is this thing called Brand Journalism? And why do I like it?!

My wife and I have made a living doing brand journalism (aka content marketing).

Every now and then, you get some clarity. You find something that sums up precisely what you have been trying to convey. That happened for me this week when I read this entry by Ann Wylie in Public Relations Tactics (April 2014):  

“Content marketing — aka brand journalism — is relevant, valuable and interesting information that you publish, post or present in owned, not rented, media. Instead of pitching your products and services, content marketing messages position your organization as an expert in your field. Not just blog posts and status updates, content marketing includes conference speeches (and your coverage of them), bylined articles, marketing magazines and e-zines, and more.”

That’s it! That’s what I do, and plan to do for years to come: Brand Journalism!

In recent years, I’ve defined myself as a “public relations professional with social media experience” or a “digital strategist.” I’ve tried to weave in my experience with content strategy for websites and intranets. I’ve spoken about my passion for social media and love of internal communications. I’ve talked about how I get great satisfaction out of researching, planning, implementing and evaluating strategic communications plans that support business goals.

Yes, I am a public relations professional. I do have social media experience. I have worked on digital strategy, although I like to pull in experts to assist with technical aspects such as web design, SEO and online advertising.

So there you go: I’m a Brand Journalist! That’s my passion. It’s my sweet spot… my groove.

It makes sense, really. I worked as a newspaper and editor for a dozen years before entering corporate and then government and then, again, corporate PR/communications/marketing. Heck, I started covering basketball games for my hometown newspaper as a 15-year-old. My dad drove me to my first assignment.

I feel in the flow while developing a strategic communication plan — and then pulling together content that helps educate, inform and entertain key audiences, those that could make or break my employer.  It gets my juices flowing writing a human interest article or Q/A with a thought leader; collaborating with a creative designer, photographer or videographer; tracking viewership and getting feedback for improvement…

I think that’s why I did internal communication for so long. It was so cool to segment audiences, foster two-way communication with them, integrate an intranet, town hall meetings, e-mails, broadcast voice mails…

Then, social media came along — and I got the great fortune of tapping its power to build mutually beneficial relationships via blogs, web chats, YouTube, streaming video and social networks. I experienced how the online supports the offline, how setting up a strategic speakers bureau integrates with a continuing series of web chats. Meantime, I saw my wife help many, many people thrive while living with cancer and other chronic illnesses through her blog and Facebook page. She had gained a bunch of experience in healthcare marketing communications before cancer entered her life.

I hope this blog entry helps you more precisely define what you do. I suspect that there are a bunch of us former journalists now working in PR, marketing and communications who sometimes fumble with describing their focus. It’s a continually evolving area, with the blurring of lines between PR, marketing, advertising and digital — and, dare to say, journalism. Technology has given us the power to “go direct” with key audiences and influencers as never before. Networking is on steroids.

Footnote: Just realized that this post has a bunch of I’s, when this as actually been a We endeavor. Brand Journalism is a team effort that involves supportive leadership, collaborative teammates, outside resources. It definitely is not a go-alone proposition. We’re all in this together.

 

Public relations, communications, marketing, digital… We’re all in this together!

Violinist Roddy Chong inspired Cincinnati PR pros with lessons learned during a career that includes touring with Celine Dione, Shania Twain and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

It’s an exciting time for those of us in public relations, communications, marketing, digital strategy and related disciplines. It also can seem confusing, overwhelming, contradictory, counter-intuitive… as we embrace the challenges and opportunities of this time of rapid change. 

Thank goodness, we don’t have to navigate these exhilarating — and sometimes turbulent — times alone. This era of social media allows us to build extensive networks and nurture mutually beneficial relationships as never before. We’re all in this together as we move to make this world a better place and enjoy the journey (at least that’s my goal during this short time on the planet).

This week, for example, I had the great fortune of attending Northern Kentucky University’s 2nd Annual Social Media Summit. The theme was “Maximizing the Client/Agency Relationship in the Social Media World.” An expert panel reinforced a lot of what we know, I thought. Stuff like social media allowing consumers to connect more directly with brands, the need for organizations to collaborate with outside partners to develop and implement social strategies, the need to integrate social with digital and offline, the imperative of breaking through the noise, etc. But, even more important to me, was the opportunity to speak with people I respect and like before the panel discussion — and to meet new folks interested in this subject area.

Two days later, I found myself in the middle of a totally unexpected experience at the monthly Cincinnati PRSA luncheon. Roddy Chong, a renowned violinist who has toured with Celine Dione, Shania Twain, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and others, gave a motivational talk interspersed with amazing violin playing. He simply blew away the 50-75 or so in attendance in the green room at the Aronoff Center.

Please take a look at the MikeBoehmer57 Twitter stream for my tweets from the summit and PRSA meeting. You’ll read some nuggets that hopefully will help as you work through fears en route to amazing, fulfilling work.

Here are several of Roddy’s points that particularly resonated with me:

• When you don’t face your fears, your dignity grows smaller.
• Find influences that point you above average.
• Be clear and specific.

These are exciting times, for sure. Scary too.

I’m glad we get to experience them together!

Informative book — Socialized! How the Most Successful Businesses Harness the Power of Social

Learn how leading companies are using social and mobile technologies, the cloud and data analytics to become “highly competitive growth machines.”

“A social business, properly led, creates an environment where people learn from others’ ideas, mistakes, and successes. It’s a learning venue for teachers and students where observation, participation, and sharing become the norm.” – Page 76

“For an organization to be competitive in today’s social age, every knowledge worker will need to play an active, intelligent, and independent part in the decision-making process.” –Page 21

Socialized! How the Most Successful Businesses Harness the Power of Social
(2013, 269 pages)

Author
Mark Fidelman works companies ranging from IBM and Microsoft to A.T Kearney and Autodesk. He is a thought leader on social business, mobile business and mobile social networks.

Summary
Fidelman describes how leading companies are using social and mobile technologies, the cloud and data analytics to become “highly competitive growth machines.” He provides a “game plan” and “plays from the playbooks” highly adaptive organizations are using. He speaks about a “new kind of business that’s agile enough to capture new opportunities, can change shape when confronted with threats, and can call on vibrant communities to support its initiatives.”

“One of the primary benefits of social business is real-time, dynamic feedback from employees, customers, and partners,” he writes.

He notes that people are more loyal to socially engaged businesses… and mobile engagement increases customer loyalty.

Fidelman gives a step-by-step process showing how organizations become “social businesses” by building:

• Internal Digital Villages — mostly via robust intranets, and
• External Digital Networks — mainly through digital strategies that integrate social media, customer portals and other Internet tools.

Early in the book, in a chapter titled “Adapt or Die” he shows how business has evolved to a “fifth age” where leaders “welcome feedback, leverage the wisdom of crowds, create pull and foster workplace environments that promote innovation.”

It’s an era where people are “overwhelmed with content and turn to their social networks to prioritize and make sense of relevant information.”

“Businesses learned that in order to get their message across they needed to integrate and work within these social networks to remain competitive,” he writes. “Few understood that these same social network concepts could be applied within their organizations to increase employee productivity, spur innovation, improve customer service and company morale, streamline project management, and offer hundreds of other benefits.”

Important stats – 56 percent of employees prefer companies that use social platforms effectively. 60 percent of employees believe social platforms enhance innovation and 61 percent believe they improve collaboration. 56 percent of college students who encounter a company that bans access to social media will either not accept a job offer there or will find a way to circumvent the restriction.

Process for building a case – Fidelman walks readers through a six-step process for building the case for a social business – ( 1) The seven people you need to help build a social business: champion, executive sponsor, devil’s advocate, executor, social butterfly and community manager. (2) define the vision, (3) diagnose and assess the gaps, (4) set clear and reasonable social business goals, (5) create a purpose for your organization to rally around, (6) build the business case plan and present it.

Culture – The author talks about why culture is important to building a social business. He includes a series of questions to help assess a company’s culture.

The New Social Business Playbook – A significant portion of the book is devoted to a strategic guide to starting, launching and executing on plays that will help make organizations more effective. This includes team composition, metrics, and more.

 

Super interesting book — ePATIENT 2015: 15 Surprising Trends Changing Health Care

Want an optimistic look at the future of healthcare? Big believer in the power of technology to better lives? Then I highly suggest you check out this book.

Authors Rohit Bhargava, who advises global healthcare brands on communication strategy, and Fard Johnmar, a digital health futurist and researcher,  combine extensive research with insights from pioneers of the digital health movement in the easy-to-read, well-organized book ePATIENT 2015: 15 Surprising Trends Changing Health Care (2014, 219 pages).

Findings are broken into three themes:

(1) Health Hyperefficiency– How Technology and Computing are Making Health Care More Efficient, Safe and Effective;
(2) The Personalized Health Movement – How Technology is Helping Health Become More Individualized and Relevant to People’s Needs; and
(3) Digital Peer-to-Peer Health Care – How Digital Tools are Enabling Enhanced Collaboration and Peer Support.

For each of the themes, there are three to nine of the 15 trends. For each trend, the authors give a brief overview, share stories that give real-life examples of the trend, and report results of recent surveys of ePatients.

As the husband of a cancer thriver, I found two trends particularly appealing:

“Trend 13 – Virtual Counseling. People are using online tools to seek and forge one-on-one relationships and offer virtual logistical and emotional support. This can include helping others to navigate the new health-insurance landscape, “sponsoring, ”  or counseling one another and providing unique knowledge about conditions, ailments, and caregiving. – Page 165

“Trend 14 – CareHacking. As patient health data becomes more widely available and the number of caregivers managing medical care for family members increases, digitally savvy health consumers will leverage the information they gain from doctors, the Web, and other sources to better ‘hack’ the health system to educate themselves, navigate loopholes, find more efficiencies, and ultimately get better, lower-cost and faster care for themselves and those they love.” –Page 171

In the introduction, the authors offer scenarios of how patients handle common health situations now – and how they will in the near future, when technology advances.  The first involves the mother of a 3-year-old who has a fever; the second, a man who learns he has lung cancer. I won’t spoil the stories. They’re facinating.

The up-front stories are worth a read, even if you don’t want to go further… but, trust me, you will.

Disclaimer: I received a free preview copy of the book.