As I research and prepare to write this post, I refer to my 2.0 arsenal- Wikipedia, Twitter, RSS feed archives, and some old and new blog posts via Google Reader. In my personal and professional life, I use 2.0 applications constantly to share information and collaborate on the web.
The hot topic of Web 2.0 recently came up when a white paper was published on Aurora MSC’s software, mScope, in collaboration with the Dark Daily titled “Digital Pathology: Pathology Innovators Use Web 2.0 to Boost Productivity and Create Clinical Value.” Although this was an interesting white paper, it specifically focused on the use of their software as a Web 2.0 tool in Pathology. However, Web 2.0 for pathology is much more than just a Digital Pathology software interface; it’s an enabler to the advancement of personalized medicine.
On Wikipedia I found the following definition for Health 2.0, “…technology as an enabler for care collaboration.” Care collaboration between patients and their MDs is an essential component of personalized medicine, and digital pathology establishes the tools necessary to create a collaborative environment in pathology. 2.0 is empowering patient self care, and driving patients to become more informed and take responsibility for their own well being. A perfect, yet rare example of collaborative care in pathology was described by Dr. Keith Kaplan in his blog post, “This is Your Cancer.” In this post Dr. Kaplan describes a memorable moment when a patient came to his office and asked to see his slides. This patient was empowered and determined to become more informed about his cancer diagnosis. Dr. Kaplan states, “These occurrences also remind me that every number is a life. Every accession number, order number and slide is a life.” What happened to Dr. Kaplan may start to occur more often, and to more pathologists. But rather than waiting for a patient to knock on an office door, pathology departments need to embrace transparency and deploy tools that support better collaboration with their physicians and their patients. The role of a physician is evolving, and being a care collaborator will make the transition to personalized medicine easier.
Not sure where to start? Check and see what other hospitals or laboratories are doing. Many healthcare institutions, like Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, have created Facebook pages, blogs, patient forums, and Twitter accounts to interact and communicate with the healthcare community. Become a “friend”, “fan”, or “follow” when you find something interesting, then think about how to bring these types of tools to your practice or laboratory. And of course, there is always the Digital Pathology community which offers blogs like Digital Pathology Blog and The Daily Scan, Digital Pathology groups on LinkedIn, and even social networking with PathXchange.org- a vendor-neutral, not-for-profit professional networking portal for the global pathology community, promoting digital pathology.
Interested in collaborating with me 2.0 style, click on one or more of the tools below. I welcome the opportunity to network and collaborate with you!
• Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/digitalpathology
• Twitter: DPConsultant or http://twibes.com/DigitalPathology
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajlowe
• Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed at feed://digitalpathologyconsultants.com/DPCblog/
