The final report from 2012 from thirdocean.com. Discusses the Health Industry and Digital Communications.

1. produced by

2. HealthConnect Report
2012
Table of Contents
03 Intro & Bios
04 Introduction to HealthConnect
Key Findings
05 Primary Uses
05 Social Media
06 Patient to Patient Communication
07 Mobile Applications
07 Self-Health Management
08 Doctor-Patient Facilitation
09 Content Management Solutions
10 Health Activism
11 Current Discussions
12 Investing in Healthcare
13 Obstacles
14 Best Practices - Industry Focused
15 Best Practices - Client Focused
16 Predictions for the Future
17 Recommendations from thirdocean
18 Resources
19 Sponsors

3. HealthConnect Report
2012
Intros & Bios
WHO IS thirdocean
thirdocean is an agency based out of Toronto, ON
founded in 2011 by Karim Kanji and Carolyn Van.
We offer social media marketing communications
and community management. We pride ourselves
on being experts in the social media space, effective
marketing communications, facilitating online
communities, being able to create engaging and
interactive content, seeding conversations and
creating positive sentiment towards the brands we
work with.
thirdocean’s services compliment traditional
marketing initiatives and digital communications
initiatives - providing an increase in audience reach,
measurable results and the ability to keep on top of
an audience’s pulse.
Results matter to us as much as they matter to you.
thirdocean helps you work towards greater business
results using social interaction and digital
communication. We craft together solutions that
solve your specific needs.
Website: www.thirdocean.com
Email: makingwaves@thirdocean.com
Twitter: @wearethirdocean
WHAT IS XCONNECT
XConnect is a thirdocean project designed to explore
movements and shifts that new media are setting off
in various industries.
WHAT IS HEALTHCONNECT
Technology advancements for the healthcare
industry are readily available – at home self-health
management solutions, mobile apps and cloud
content management systems have all been
developed to provide better care. However,
government regulations and funding are among some
of the hurdles these stakeholders face when looking
to implement these solutions.
HealthConnect seeks to bring together healthcare
professionals, industry experts, vendors and other
key stakeholders to facilitate and encourage
conversation and positive technological changes that
will benefit the healthcare industry.
Many of the resources and articles used in this report
as well as full coverage of our 2012 HealthConnect
event can be found at
www.xconnectto.com
3

4. HealthConnect Report
2012
Introduction to HealthConnect
4
Social Media and new technology have had a significant impact on recent changes across all industries.
They affect how:
• Consumers interact with organizations • Organizations interact with each other
• Information is communicated across all levels • Data is collected and made available
The health industry is no different. Although many health organizations have entered the social media world
behind other industries, there are efforts in play to benefit from these new solutions.
There are significant opportunities available for the healthcare industry in social media and new technology.
Allowing for patients to take their own health management into their hands, doctors on different continents
being able to interact in real-time and streamlining information sharing between a series of hospitals are a small
example of what is available. However, privacy issues and government regulations in the healthcare industry
lead to a conservative outlook on implementing new solutions.
HealthConnect seeks to look at how patients, organizations, healthcare professionals and IT professionals use
new technology and social media to benefit the healthcare industry. It will look at industry opportunities and
obstacles, discussing what each stakeholder can do to maximize the solutions that have been made available
to them.

5. HealthConnect Report
2012
Key Findings
5
PRIMARY USES
Overall, the healthcare industry is extremely reliant
on technological advances. New research methods
and collaborative opportunities, alternative patient
care options and better management systems for
extremely private information all result from these new
advancements. Social media and new online
technology options provide any healthcare system
with an opportunity to provide better care.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Consumer access to social media has exponentially
increased and many industries are now establishing
the best ways to use these platforms to benefit key
stakeholders. The healthcare industry cannot afford to
be left behind as social media can act as a
complimentary tool to traditional healthcare programs.

6. HealthConnect Report
2012
Key Findings
6
PATIENT TO PATIENT COMMUNICATION
Social Media platforms are designed to connect
people and provide an opportunity to interact with
individuals globally. This advancement has led to the
ability for patient to patient communication, which
can be advantageous for individuals with chronic
illnesses who are feeling socially isolated due to their
illness.
Crohnology is an online community developed by
Sean Ahren’s for individuals suffering from Crohn’s
or Colitis disease. The objective is to have patients
discuss their illness, treatments and experiences, and
feel a sense of connection to others with the same
symptoms. Approximately 1 in 172 Canadians suffer
from Chron’s, many of whom may otherwise feel
isolated with their disease if it were not for the online
support they receive through this community.

7. HealthConnect Report
2012
Key Findings
7
Key Findings
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
To date, there are over 13,000 consumer health apps available in
iTunes. This statistic is evidence of what is available for
individuals and the healthcare industry. The emergence of mobile
applications has led to the opportunity for doctors and patients to
connect without face to face interaction as well as patients
managing their own health program.
Velo Mobile, an app initiated in Central America and being
introduced to North America, is a mobile application that allows
healthcare professionals to connect with patients over text
message. As cell phone penetration is estimated to be nearing
100% globally, Velo Mobile is using SMS messaging to allow for
Doctors and Healthcare professionals to connect with patients,
book/cancel appointments and ask basic health questions.
SELF-HEALTH MANAGEMENT
Online communities and mobile applications provide a great opportunity for end-users to take responsibility for
their own health management. With so many available apps to count your calories, remind you to exercise, take
your pills and even test your blood sugar level it is almost inexcusable that one does not work toward a healthy
lifestyle.
MyFitnessPal is an app where someone
can manage their healthy active lifestyle.
If someone is looking to lose weight, count
calories, track exercise, MyFitnessPal is
a solution that encourages healthy active
living. This app goes so far as providing
recommendations on a weekly basis as to
what someone may need to cut out of their
diet (i.e. too much sugar, saturated fats
etc.). Health apps such as
MyFitnessPal give individuals a great
opportunity to manage their health at
home before illness strikes.

8. HealthConnect Report
2012
Key Findings
8
DOCTOR – PATIENT FACILITATION
Several apps have been developed to assist in
doctor – patient facilitation. These apps have been
created to assist patients in finding the shortest
possible wait time to see a physician, allow for
doctors to connect with their patients without
human to human contact and manage regular visits
for patients with chronic illness. Overall while patient
wait times are expected to increase between 2012
and 2013 , mobile advancements are providing a
solution to combat these wait times.
HealthAware is an application, targeted at
women 30+, that aims to better facilitate booking
your appointments. The application assists an
individual in finding the right kind of healthcare pro-
fessional a patient needs, evaluating wait times and
assisting in booking appointments. The App is a
great example of streamlining Doctor – Patient
facilitation to provide faster, more efficient service.

9. HealthConnect Report
2012
Key Findings
9
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
Solutions for the healthcare industry are not only for the end user.
Cloud Content Management Systems allow hospitals and other
healthcare professionals to connect in a more efficient way. Acting
as an excellent project management tool, CMS solutions are able to
facilitate workflow, ensure correct sharing of documents and
manage essential timelines.
WebPal is a Cloud Content Management System developed
by Palomino System Innovations Inc.. Palomino has
implemented this CMS into several healthcare organizations
to manage workflow and provide a better avenue for
document sharing. CEO, Markus Latzel spoke to Karim
Kanji of thirdocean on XConnect about implementing the
solution into a series of 5 hospitals in Nova Scotia who were
working with a decentralized system that did not allow for
sufficient patient document sharing. Palomino was able to
streamline their Content Management Solution so all
healthcare providers were able to access the information
they needed.

10. HealthConnect Report
2012
Key Findings
10
HEALTH ACTIVISM
Several patients see the social space as a way to
get their voice heard. As one person, versus
healthcare providers or the insurance firms, it can feel
like a lonely road when dealing with illness or
disease. Many patients and sufferers use Facebook
and Twitter as a way to rally other patients and
supporters together to influence the course of their
results.
In May 2012, Courtney Render used the hashtag
#CureforCourtney to help generate funds for a stem
cell treatment to treat her Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Within 2 days her campaign went viral as she
attempted to raise $600,000 for the cost of
treatment, a cost otherwise prohibitive to the family.

11. HealthConnect Report
2012
Current Discussions
11
Social Media has become a great avenue for patients, healthcare professionals and IT experts to connect and
discuss the future opportunities available with new technology.
#hackinghealth – Hacking Health is an
organization that facilitates conversation
between healthcare professionals and IT
experts. They recently ran hackathons in
Toronto and Montreal to get professionals
interacting face to face while facilitating
online discussions throughout the year to
keep conversation and inspiration flowing.
#hcsmca – Is a twitter hashtag – and
community – that connects healthcare
professionals through online conversation.
Contributors include doctors, nurses and
various other industry experts discussing and
sharing information on how HealthIT, social
media and technology can better the
industry.
#HITsm – Is a regular Twitter chat held on
Fridays where industry professionals in the
healthcare and IT sector can collaborate.
These groups come together to discuss
topics including; opportunities and obstacles
faced when introducing new technology to
the health care sector.
#HCTO – HealthConnect a month long
research study and event that is part of a
series called XConnect. Organized by
thirdocean, HealthConnect brought together
industry professionals and interested parties
to discuss how social media and HealthIT
influence the healthcare industry.

12. HealthConnect Report
2012
Investing in Healthcare
12
FINDING THE RIGHT GUIDANCE
For many mobile and social start ups in the health
care industry, finding the right guidance to navigate
the industry space is important. Learning about the
regulations and obstacles a start up may face, along
with receiving recommendations from experts already
navigating the field increases the chance their
technology will be successful. An estimated $700
million had been invested into healthcare by mid-year
2012, indicating there is open opportunity available.
MaRS in Canada and Rock Health in the United
States are excellent resources to those start ups
navigating the medical space. Rock Health offers up
to $100,000 in investment to projects along with an
office space, mentorship and expert guidance from
industry experts at organizations such as the Mayo
Clinic. These incubation programs allow for
advancement in medical technology that may
otherwise be hindered due to government or industry
stipulations.

13. HealthConnect Report
2012
Obstacles
13
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS
Regulations for healthcare in first world countries are
in place to protect citizens. The Canada Health Act
has over 150 stipulations in place to protect its citi-
zens from poor healthcare, poor food production and
maintain citizen rights. However, these
regulations also place burden for new technology
entering the field.
INDUSTRY RELATIONS
Many of the Content Management Systems hospitals
and doctors are working with are older technology,
despite the amount of new technology available. As a
vendor for the Healthcare Industry, such as
HealthAware, it is often very difficult to penetrate the
industry due to Industry-Vendor Relations.
Introducing new vendors to an old system takes time
and funding many small new vendors do not have.
PRIVACY
Regulations such as the Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) are in place,
again to protect the rights of citizens in Ontario. The
healthcare industry is bound by these regulations as
it relates to sharing patient information. It is put upon
the patient to allow for this information to be shared.
Farid Kassam, during HealthConnect, mentioned “as
consumers, we have a lot more control on
privacy sharing.” In order for medical professionals to
be able to access some of the great new
technological advancements, it is necessary for
patients to share that information.
FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS
46% of the Canadian budget has been spent on
healthcare, yet we still find budgetary constraints
across the board. Paying for professionals and
facilities is the top priority, but currently the focus is
treating illness and disease. We mostly rely on
outside support for managing our own health. As
Farid Kassam at HealthConnect said, “Doctors
should be paid to keep us healthy!”
INVESTMENTS
Incubator and accelerator programs are currently the
best way to solve funding issues for startup
organizations in the healthcare field. Many Venture
Capital firms are very hesitant to enter the space due to
regulations in place. Nikolai Bratkovski of
HealthAware spoke to the need to capitalize on the
programs that are available while at the same time also
educating these investors on why the healthcare
industry needs their funding.
INSURANCE
Social Media is an excellent tool to connect patients so they are able to speak about their illnesses or diseases,
discuss certain treatment options or how they reacted to each treatment. The insurance industry is slowly
entering this market as a customer engagement tool. However, it is not yet proven what risk this
information-sharing tool can have on impacting the cost of insurance. With more information being shared
online, will it affect what a patient pays to stay healthy?

14. HealthConnect Report
2012
Best Practices
Industry Focused
14
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
As Dr. Karim Jessa mentioned at
HealthConnect, “Doctors are geeks!” Many
doctors and other healthcare professionals are open
to embrace new technology. They want to be at the
forefront of this movement. It is education at the top
level of management that is necessary. Whether it is a
series of hospitals that need a streamlined
Content Management System so they are able to
share information, or embracing a new app
technology that allows diabetes patients to use their
iPhones to test their blood, education of the benefits
needs to be communicated at the top level.
CONNECTING WITH COLLEAGUES
#hcsmca and #HCTO allow colleagues within the
industry to connect with each other. Healthcare
professionals should be capitalizing on the
opportunities available to interact with other
industry professionals, they may not otherwise meet,
over the social media space. Just as we have
identified many individuals with chronic illness who
may otherwise feel isolated without online
communities, doctors in remote areas or within
specific specialties may feel isolated from their peers
without an online connection.
PATIENT ENGAGEMENT
A WEGO Health Activist study indicated that Pfizer
is the most engaged pharmaceutical company on
social media. Using the tool as patient engagement
to begin with, Pfizer has taken the lead in interacting
with patients. Using social media not as a sales tool,
but as a way to connect with your patients is
excellent. Although 47% of participants in the WEGO
Health Activist Study have negative impressions
of the large pharmaceutical companies online, it
has identified that steps are being made at levels
of healthcare to connect top level organizations to
end-user consumers.

15. HealthConnect Report
2012
Best Practices
Patient Focused
15
STEWARD OF SELF-HEALTH
The App industry and online communities allow
for individuals to take health matters into their own
hands. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle or maintaining
your illness from home has never been easier. It is
time for individuals to start acting as stewards of their
own well being.
CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY
Connecting with a community who shares the same
view or is undergoing the same experience can be
incredibly beneficial to someone who is feeling
trapped by their illness or grieving. Connecting with a
community, as opposed to venturing into the online
social space alone can also give an individual the
strength and support they need.
UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS
Healthcare professionals are effective at
communicating the biomedical parts of an illness, yet
their knowledge of a patient’s options or their ability
to speak to the social or psychological part of your
illness can be limited. As an individual, research and
understand what alternative options you may have.
Know what benefits each app or online community
provides you with before choosing one specific
avenue to gain further information.
VOLUNTEERING INFORMATION
The online space has given everyone an opportunity
to share more information than they would have 20
years ago. People are willing to give their address to
win a trip, or their age to get free makeup. Individuals
need to feel more willing to share their information
with the medical industry. Volunteering information
can lead to new research and discovery, as well as
provide insight into how the healthcare system can
be better managed to react to patients. As Dr. Karim
Jessa mentioned during HealthConnect “The patient
loses when the industry lacks the information need-
ed.”

16. HealthConnect Report
2012
Predictions for the Future
16
As many areas of the healthcare industry are now entering the social media space, there is significant opportu-
nity for advancement and adoption.
APPLYING APPS
New technology provides endless opportunities;
there are almost 13,000 available apps for patients
and medical professionals that are not fully integrated
into the system and over 30,000 Health IT solutions
available . As developers continue to challenge the
status quo, the number of opportunities will only
increase. The global possibility for healthcare to
embrace this new technology, not as a negative
change, but a positive solution will lead to better
application.
USING TRADITIONAL AND CURRENT
TOGETHER
As Abigail Keeso mentioned in her interview with
XConnect, “I see these online communities acting as
complementary therapy to traditional medicine. I think
they allow patients to feel empowered to take control of
their health.” As the industry and patients begin to
embrace the possibility of the online space and
traditional healthcare as a compliment to one another,
there is a greater opportunity for continuous care.
USING TRADITIONAL AND CURRENT TO-
GETHER
Government funding, Venture Capital Firms, Angel
Investors, and others all need to recognize what
opportunities are available for new innovation in
healthcare. There needs to be a shift from the
negative connotation associated with change in the
industry, to evaluating the solutions new media and
new technology provide to better the care given.
MOBILIZATION OF PATIENTS TO ENCOURAGE
BETTER TREATMENT
As social media becomes inherent in everyone’s daily
lives, seeing patients maximize the efficiency of
social media to impact change will increase. As we have
seen over 2011-2012, Helene Campbell, a 20 year old
woman from Quebec in need of a lung transplant has
become an international advocate for organ donation.
Social media has allowed her to connect with individuals
like Ellen DeGeneres and communicate her story to the
world.
MASS COMMUNICATION
Social Media can also assist with emergency
situations as an outbound communication resource,
in particular during times of medical surge capacity.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) made the
decision to provide updates over Twitter so users
would have better access to their travel information
and make more informed decisions on their transit
planning.
During a critical illness outbreak emergency services such as hospitals, urgent care centers or phone support,
i.e. Telehealth Ontario, can be flooded by patients due to the fear that health scares can create. Using
platforms such as Twitter to communicate prevention methods, critical updates and to interact with
individuals who may have questions can help in reducing the sudden influx of patients and better manage
community concerns.

17. HealthConnect Report
2012
Recommendations from
thirdocean
KISS
Keep it simple.Medical technologies are being unnecessarily designed too complex. The design and functional-
ity of medical devices and apps needs to change. And fast. Here’s why: Caregivers (doctors, nurses, specialists
and family members) are not, in most cases, properly trained on how to use various apps, devices, and other
medical technologies. Designing of these tools and programs needs to be kept in mind. It’s no longer safe to
assume that just because a medical professional is highly trained that they will know how to use these devices.
Keep the patient needs in mind: Keep things simple and effective so that care can be delivered fast and effi-
ciently.
BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTION
The success of apps such as BANT (designed by the University Health Network and The Hospital For Sick
Children in Toronto) can be traced in part to understanding how and why people behave. BANT is not your
regular diabetes measurement app. BANT also includes the ability to connect with a community as well as earn
cool gifts via their rewards program. An early case study showed that use of this app increased the chances of
teens testing their sugar levels by almost 50%.
I WANT MY DATA
Provincial legislation must be enacted and enforced to ensure that patients own and control their health records
and information. Professional healthcare providers must make available patients’ records so that they can begin
to “own their health” rather than leaving it up to the system. The more we, as consumers of our own health,
take care of ourselves, the better we will be able to use the system. Simple tools like cloud documentation or
USB sticks can facilitate this.
PATIENT INSIGHTS AND PATIENT DRIVEN EFFORT
In all industries, customers need to feel empowered and have the ability to have their insights heard.
However, while customer needs are key - it’s not the only need that exists. We all wish it was that simple.
Balancing customer needs with government and client goals is a not easy. In the healthcare services industry,
patients must be given opportunities and the tools to share, collaborate and track their insights. While we are
sure that almost nobody would argue against this, the unserviced opportunity seems to be the “how” - and not
only the “how” but “how best to”. Healthcare professionals should have reliable and valid sources of constantly
updated information populated by health care patients to assist them with direction in research and health care
patients should have user-friendly and safe tools to input their insights and progress.
17
PRIVACY VS. BETTER CARE
To think that today’s patients will oppose to having their information shared amongst healthcare professionals
- is an assumption based on past human behavior. If patients knew that having their information shared would
lead to better health care they may at the very least entertain the idea. Nowadays, people are slowly but surely
understanding the correlation between user and customer data and end products and services. The year 2012
and beyond equips us with the technology and tools that allow us to seamlessly facilitate the sharing of this
data.

18. HealthConnect Report
2012
Resources
18
i. Crohnology.com
ii. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/15/social-media-and-chronic-disease/
iii. https://gust.com/c/velo_mobile_health
iv. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
v. http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/06/19/wait-times.html
vi. http://healthaware.ca/
vii. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/24/video-palomino-and-healthcare-it/
viii. http://www.globaltoronto.com/woman+uses+twitter+to+raise+money+for+life+savin-
g+stem-cell+transplant/6442643423/story.html
ix. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/10/video-in-conversation-with-life-sciences-and-healthcare-analyst-
at-mars/
x. http://www.marsdd.com/
xi. http://rockhealth.com/
xii. http://rockhealth.com/incubator/
xiii. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/home-accueil/search-recherche/a-z-eng.php#h
xiv. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90f31_e.htm
xv. In person event – HealthConnect, October 24th, 2012
xvi. http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/01/24/bisa0124.htm
xvii. http://www.mmm-online.com/pfizer-jj-novartis-and-sanofi-tops-in-social-media-say-patients/
article/264107/
xviii. http://www.mmm-online.com/pfizer-jj-novartis-and-sanofi-tops-in-social-media-say-patients/
article/264107/
xix. http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/7/17/number-of-health-apps-rising-but-download-rates-
remain-low.aspx
xxi. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/19/the-present-and-the-future-of-online-health-communities/
xxii. http://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-woman-recovering-from-double-lung-transplant-1.792706
xxiii. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/12/can-healthcare-afford-to-not-be-on-social-media/
xxiv. http://xconnectto.com/2012/10/12/can-healthcare-afford-to-not-be-on-social-media/

19. HealthConnect Report
2012
Sponsors
19
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS