Swine Flu, Social Network Analysis and Marketing

Swine Flu Contagion

I came across this very interesting blog by Valdis Crebs, “The Network Thinker”, that illustrates how the swine flu could spread across a network.

http://www.thenetworkthinker.com/2009/04/network-structure-of-swine-flu-pandemic.html

I found this a powerful visual of how ‘contagion’ works. I imagine that the ‘pig’ with the swine flu is a ‘manufacturer’ that has a great new product. The ‘pig’ infects a member of a network and starts the contagion across the network.

Rivermark uses Social Network Analysis to identify the most contagious people (opinion leaders or thought leaders) and illustrate their network (community of practice) to help marketers identify the most effective and efficient strategy for commercializing a product.

Nice job Valdis…I enjoyed the post.

A Review of Health 2.0 Websites/Tools

I found this blog by Frank Gruber done in November 2007.

http://www.somewhatfrank.com/2007/11/i-need-a-medic.html

He reviews the health 2.0 websites and tools.  It might be a bit dated, but I thought it is a good start for those interested in learning more about these services.

Physician Driven Networks Powered by Social Media

My work to identify opinion leaders in medicine and illuminate their learning networks has me wondering about how Web 2.0, Health 2.0, social media, word-of-mouth, online communities, Twitter, Yammer, Facebook, PatientsLikeMe, Revolution Health….will change the dynamics of opinion leadership and influence in medicine?

Currently, we think there are several ‘domains’ of leadership and influence in medicine:

1.  Subject-matter experts and networks (or scientific communities and collaborators).  These individuals and networks do the research, discovery and validation of new innovations.  They publish frequently, speak, are quoted in the press, and typically hold academic positions.

2.  Organizational leaders who hold positions of power and influence in companies, societies/associations, guideline committees, cooperative research groups, government advisory boards, journal editors and/or academic chairs.

3.  Social network leaders who ‘digest’ and ‘vet’ new innovations while acting as local, community-based teachers, advisors or trusted friends and colleagues.  These are the leaders and influencers who are most like the frontline, community physicians and healthcare professionals.  These are the people the local professionals turn to for information and guidance after reading about something new in a journal or listening ot a presentation or (God forbid) listening to a sales rep or seeing a advertisement.

4.  Prominent, well-known, experts who have become ‘famous’ as a result of their pioneering work, positions, expertise or their public activities.

So how might the emergence of social media change the dynamics of opinion leadership among physicians?  Will social media shift the power to the patient and could they accelerate healthcare innovation by driving change by healthcare providers and payers?  How will physicians embrace the use of social media to learn, share information, gain expert opinion, and find out about new innovations?  Could these media accelerate the adoption of best medical practice and help eliminate waste by facilitating the exchange of information?

Your thoughts and ideas are welcome. Email your ideas or comments to john@rivermark.biz.  Or post a comment to my blog.

Social Media and Healthcare 2.0

Great article in The Economist, “A Special Report on Healthcare and Technology.  Health 2.0″ http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13437940

Patients are moving from the margins in healthcare to the center thanks to the emergence of social media.  This makes we wonder how social media might transform the delivery of healthcare and how we will ‘consume’ health care services in the future?  As I thought about how Twitter, Yammer, Blogs, Podcasts, etc. might be used, I came up with an idea for diabetes blood glucose monitoring.

Imagine the current blood glucose meter being more like an iPhone or Blackberry rather than a device that measures, stores and transmits blood glucose readings to the patient and their physician.  BG measures could be uploaded on a regular basis (virtual continuous glucose monitoring) to a secure system (‘tweet the reading’) and personalized feedback could be ‘tweeted back’.  Patients could communicate with their doctor and with other patients to form a virtual diabetes network.  If these devices had apps (like the iPhone apps) that were also integrated with their home computers and connected to web sites like “Patients Like Me”, they could receive more tailored education and information could be pushed to the patient on their own personal ‘Diabetes Facebook’ page or web site.  Plus get connected to online groups, chats, blogs, etc.

Services could be at the patients fingertips with apps like “Around Me” and reviews could be written and posted immediately on a “Diabetes Yelp”.   This is some pretty cool stuff and I think these technologies will reshape how we manage our health and treat our illness.

Use of Network Analytics on Peer Nomination Surveys

Your Preferred Method of Identifying Opinion Leaders

Networks Matter!!

Networks matter!  Getting beyond the names, using social network analytic techniques helps to identify key network characteristics that drive the diffusion of information across a network.  We conducted a study with two of our academic partners to determine to what degree networks matter in new product adoption. The study was recently published in two (2) places:

1.  Marketing Science Institute, MSI Reports, 2008 Working Paper Series; Issue four; No. 08-004; “Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion.”  http://www.msi.org/publications/publication.cfm?pub=1474

2.  Knowledge@Wharton (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn. edu/article.cfm?articleid=2170); “The Buzz Starts Here: Finding the First Mouth for Word-of-Mouth Marketing.”  March 04, 2009.

Great stuff!  And very important work to help move beyond collecting names of opinion leaders and move towards understanding networks and how they affect the adoption of new products and behaviors.

Interconnectivity of Genes: Disease as a Network; Part 5 of 5

Proteins form networks within cells and all our genes are interconnected.  Network analysis is being used to understand the genetic cause of disease and personalizing treatment.

Wilt Chamberlain: A Hub in the Human Sexual Network; Part 4 of 5

Wilt Chamberlain is a “hub” in the human sexual network!  It is critical to identify network hubs…

Invisible Links That Make the Big World Small: Part 3 of 5

Every neuron in the body is just a few snapses away from every other synapse.