Mayo Clinic 2010 Annual Report
First-of-its-kind health care social media center
Mayo creates network for health care organizations
Director of Mayo Clinic
Center for Social Media
The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media — the first of its kind focused on health care — is a network of health care organizations, hospitals and medical professionals committed to broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients.
"Other organizations hold Mayo up as a reason their institutions should get involved with social media," says Lee Aase, director of the new center,. "We are in a position to lead the social media revolution in health care and encourage collaboration among providers."
"Through this work, Mayo looks to help improve health care literacy, health care delivery and population health worldwide," says Aase.
Best practices in health care social media
Medical Director for the
Center for Social Media
The Center for Social Media is organized as a network, with paying members who are learning how to apply social media tools effectively in a health context and developing best practices. "The center is built on a long tradition of collaboration at Mayo Clinic that started with the Mayo brothers," says Victor Montori, M.D., medical director for the Center for Social Media and a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology.
In addition to Mayo Clinic, there are currently over 40 health care organizations participating, including:
- Bon Secours Health System, Marriottsville, Md.
- Inova Health System, Falls Church, Va.
- Mission Health System, Asheville, N.C.
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Swedish Health Services, Seattle, Wash.
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (UMCN) will serve as community leader for the European continent, recruiting members, hosting conferences and facilitating growth. UMCN is a strong social media leader among European medical centers and health care in general.
Mayo hopes that the shortened distance afforded by technology will make the network even more powerful and cohesive.
Goal is to improve health literacy worldwide
The international network will help members learn from each other and effectively implement social media programs. This includes Mayo's physicians, researchers and staff who increasingly use social media to provide in-depth information and connect in more comprehensive ways.
Through the Center for Social Media, Mayo Clinic provides:
- Training for health care employees
- Consulting and coaching for organizations that want to engage in social media activities
- Information resources
- Educational conferences, webinars and events
Mayo Clinic also will seek organizations to serve as continental community leaders for Africa, Asia, Australia and South America.
"Typically, health care is slow to adopt new things," says Aase. "With the Center for Social Media, we can help accelerate that pattern for the benefit of everyone involved."