Trust, Transparency and Meritocracy: Three Pillars for Creating a Successful Social Network around Health
|
If you are the presenter of this abstract (or if you cite this abstract in a talk or on a poster), please show the QR code in your slide or poster (QR code contains this URL). |
Abstract
There are three main qualities required to create a successful social network in health. These are: trust, transparency, and meritocracy. Each serves a different purpose, strengthening the network in its own way. Trust brings the right people together, transparency ensures that participants do the “right thing,†and meritocracy encourages high engagement. When these three qualities have aligned a framework for a successful social health network has been created.
This talk will discuss each element, how it creates a successful network, and provide brief examples of ways in which each quality can be implemented (using HealthTap as an example).
Create Trust
The first element of a successful social network in health is trust.
Trust is an essential ingredient in any health-related network and can be created by connecting people with trusted health information and the best care providers.
At HealthTap, we only admit physicians who are invited or who apply and we verify that doctor is both licensed and in excellent standing (our careful screening process is more strict than state medical boards). Additionally, bringing together the most qualified physicians to answer user questions ensures that the doctor experience is as rewarding as the user experience, as does screening questions to ensure they are legitimate and answerable and in their specialties or areas of interest.
Be Transparent
The second element in expanding this type of social network is maintaining transparency.
By making online health information transparent, participants become accountable for their contributions, and the community maintains the quality of the information that’s provided.
Every answer on HealthTap comes from the physicians in our Medical Expert Network, and each answer is listed under that physician’s name, and links to additional information about the doctor (including a photo, contact information, and all the answers that they created and other content they endorsed). Transparent community feedback mechanisms (like reporting content), and physicians who actively evaluate content ensure health answers are credible and reliable.
Reward Merit
The third element of success is recognizing merit, which encourages increased participation.
Qualified participants have an equal opportunity to contribute to the network, both by adding answers and by evaluating them, ensuring that the best content rises to the top.
Rewarding real merit provides a voice to any and every physician, and allows doctors to gain recognition based on their engagement and on the reputations they’ve built among other physicians. The best doctors, no matter where they are located, where they practice, or where they were educated, are recognized on HealthTap for their expertise using a fair and transparent “peer-review†process.
When you create a community that is trusted, transparent, and merit-based, you’ve got the makings for a successful social network. The community thrives because it is built by people who participate and engage for the right reasons, and who are continuously adding real sustainable value to everyone involved through their interactions.
This talk will discuss each element, how it creates a successful network, and provide brief examples of ways in which each quality can be implemented (using HealthTap as an example).
Create Trust
The first element of a successful social network in health is trust.
Trust is an essential ingredient in any health-related network and can be created by connecting people with trusted health information and the best care providers.
At HealthTap, we only admit physicians who are invited or who apply and we verify that doctor is both licensed and in excellent standing (our careful screening process is more strict than state medical boards). Additionally, bringing together the most qualified physicians to answer user questions ensures that the doctor experience is as rewarding as the user experience, as does screening questions to ensure they are legitimate and answerable and in their specialties or areas of interest.
Be Transparent
The second element in expanding this type of social network is maintaining transparency.
By making online health information transparent, participants become accountable for their contributions, and the community maintains the quality of the information that’s provided.
Every answer on HealthTap comes from the physicians in our Medical Expert Network, and each answer is listed under that physician’s name, and links to additional information about the doctor (including a photo, contact information, and all the answers that they created and other content they endorsed). Transparent community feedback mechanisms (like reporting content), and physicians who actively evaluate content ensure health answers are credible and reliable.
Reward Merit
The third element of success is recognizing merit, which encourages increased participation.
Qualified participants have an equal opportunity to contribute to the network, both by adding answers and by evaluating them, ensuring that the best content rises to the top.
Rewarding real merit provides a voice to any and every physician, and allows doctors to gain recognition based on their engagement and on the reputations they’ve built among other physicians. The best doctors, no matter where they are located, where they practice, or where they were educated, are recognized on HealthTap for their expertise using a fair and transparent “peer-review†process.
When you create a community that is trusted, transparent, and merit-based, you’ve got the makings for a successful social network. The community thrives because it is built by people who participate and engage for the right reasons, and who are continuously adding real sustainable value to everyone involved through their interactions.
Medicine 2.0® is happy to support and promote other conferences and workshops in this area. Contact us to produce, disseminate and promote your conference or workshop under this label and in this event series. In addition, we are always looking for hosts of future World Congresses. Medicine 2.0® is a registered trademark of JMIR Publications Inc., the leading academic ehealth publisher.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.