Presentation given at the 5th Saudi eHealth Conference, Riyadh, 18 – 20 November 2014. The agenda includes: an update on the status of the continuing global expansion of HCPs’ social networks; a look at networks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region; an overview of differentiating network characteristics; physicians’ usage patterns; impacts on national healthcare systems; and a case for the creation of a dedicated Saudi Arabian network to support the objectives of the country’s new healthcare reform.

1. The rise and rise of
HCPs’ social networks
Len Starnes Digital healthcare consultant
5th Saudi eHealth Conference Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
18 – 20 November 2014

2. What are they? Communities of authenticated medical professionals, frequently combined with news, medical education, and drug database resources

3. 1
Global dimensions
Network flavours
2
Behaviours and impacts
3

4. Global dimensions

5. 2010
2009
2008
2007
7 years of sustained growth
> 130 networks > 7m HCPs
Membership of HCPs’ social networks
1m
2m
3m
2011
2012
2014
4m
5m
6m
2013

6. 2010
2009
2008
2007
7 years of sustained growth
> 130 networks > 7m HCPs
Membership of HCPs’ social networks
1m
2m
3m
2011
2012
2014
4m
5m
6m
> 130 networks > 4.5m doctors
2013

7. Asia Pacific inc China & India 5m members
Europe & Americas inc Mexico, Brazil, Russia 2m members
Asia Pacific dominates
Sales

8. USA Only the paranoid survive*
Continuous innovation New players Workflow integration Venture capital
* With thanks to Andy Grove

9. Doximity
Sermo Physician Connect
Healtheva Relaxdoc
SocialMD Clinical Village
iMedExchange
Ozmosis
Medical Plexus Within3
Par80
Rad Rounds MyPacs MedTrust MedicSpeak Syndicom Spineconnect QuantiaMD MDsConnect Mdlinx CareConnectix Medversation Student Doctor Network CardioExchang(Global)

10. First to offer a trusted community in 2007 Pioneers in professional social networks 270k members

11. First to offer a trusted community in 2007 Pioneers in professional social networks 270k members
Overtaken by
Doximity
2014

12. Doximity 50% US doctors using
300k members Tapped into natural network effect in medicine Opened secure HIPPA-compliant P2P communications
Jeff Tangney, CEO ex CEO Epocrates

13. ‘Tapping into the natural "network effect" in medicine was one of our biggest growth factors for Doximity. The network was built to fluidly fit into the ways that physicians are used to connecting with classmates, co-residents, colleagues, co-authors, etc’ Emily Peters VP Marketing Communications, Doximity

14. North/South divide UK and Germany lead
CEE countries surging Driving global alliances
Europe
Heterogeneous

15. Doctors.net.uk (UK)
Coliquio (D,CH,AT) MedUniverse (SE) Medcenter (ES,P) Konsylium24 (PL)
DocCheck Faces (D) MedOnline (AT) Terve (FI)
Esanum (D,AT,CH,
F,ES,IT)
Docactus (F) Egora (F) iVrach (RU)
Doktorsitesi (TK) Merck Medicus (ES,I) doc2doc (UK/Global)

16. Largest in Europe
90% UK doctors using
50k daily unique users

17. Driving global alliances

18. Largest
in Germany
D, CH, AT 112k members
Partnership with
leading med journal Over 70 specialist areas

19. Column1
MedNetTrack CEE Survey 2012: Szinapszs
40% CEE doctors are
members of domestic
or international communities
CEE eclipsing F, IT, ES

20. Status 2012
At least 3 networks
per CEE country = 29

21. Asia Pacific Turbo-charged
Breakneck growth
Gargantuan membership
numbers

22. Haoyisheng (Good Doctor) (CN) dxy.cn (Lilac Garden) (CN)
China Asthma Alliance (CN)
China obgyn.net (CN)
Orthochina (CN)
Indiaheartbeat.com (IN)
Doctors Hangout (IN) Doctor.VG (IN)
Medtitans (IN)
Protomedica (IN)
DelloDr (IN)
Smartdoc (IN)
M3.com (JP) MedPeer (JP) Carenet (JP) NM Online (JP) MT Pro (JP)
Medigate( KR) eHealthspace (AU)
New Media Medicine (NZ)

23. China
Largest and
most innovative

24. Haoyisheng Over 2m members
Supporting needs of Chinese HC Reform
Serving 6000 hospitals Serving 1300 health centres
Meded & CME
focus

25. Column2
Hospital doctors 47%
Pharmacists 6%
Senior nurses 41%
Medical technicians 6%
Haoyisheng membership status September 2011
Almost 50% are doctors

26. dxy.cn 4m
members
Roots in academic medical research
Embraces HCPs’ & research community Over 100 speciality areas
Internet giant Tencent invested US$ 70m September 2014

27. Saudi Arabia and GCC region?
Image: The Economist

28. MENA region’s first network
Launched September 2014

29. 900
900 members Increasing 3 – 4 per day 3 - 4 visits per week 32 mins average on site
Networking, fora discussions seeking 2nd opinion
Status 11.11.14

30. MENA region’s first network
Launched September 2014
Why no authentication process?

31. ‘Having a network of physicians that are practicing in the MENA region all in one place is a vital tool to have.’
Dr Abdurrahman Mahmoud Endocrinologist Saudi Arabia and Jordan
Doctors’ reaction?

32. Network flavours

33. Authentication

34. Trust & value depend on transparency
No authentication
Authentication + pseudonym
Rig authentication
+ open ID
Very high
High
Low

35. ‘I refuse to join
any club that
would have me for a member’ Groucho Marx

36. Reach

37. Ownership

38. Business model

39. Behaviours and impacts

40. Usage varies significantly from country to country
Seeking best treatment options
Seeking specialist expert advice
Monitoring trending medical news
Seeking 2nd opinion on diagnoses
Monitoring latest research findings
Tracking medical and health policy issues
Catching up with colleagues
Participating in CME programmes

41. How to remove without damaging finger?
Seeking help on Sermo

42. Haoyisheng actively supports Chinese HC Reform
Delivers > 1m eCME modules/year on evidence-based medicine

43. What do doctors want?
Trusted secure HCPs-only networks Specialist discussion areas Significant membership numbers
Mother-tongue communities
Compatibility with clinical workflow Mobile access
Value-add content and services
Interaction with pharma - on their terms

44. How are national health systems impacted?
Accelerate
dissemination of
medical expertise
Extend urban-based medical expertise to rural areas
Support national medical training
initiatives
Improve
health
outcomes
Lower
health service costs

45. Challenges facing SA Health Reform
‘Resistance to change, limited training and lack of communication are key barriers’ Dr Mohammed Alyemeni Deputy Minister for Planning & Health Economics SA Ministry of Health Speaking at HIMSS 2014

46. Create a dedicated HCPs’ social network
to support the objectives of the SA Healthcare Reform
Unique opportunity

47. Key features
Interoperability with EHRs
Mobile access
Rigorous authentication & open IDs
Integration with clinical & admin workflows
Comprehensive CME resources
Public/Private partnership

48. Build on 8 years of
global experience

49. lenstarnes@gmail.com T: + 49 30 781 5513 M: + 49 172 1788253 Skype: lenstarnes www.linkedin.com/in/lenstarnes www.twitter.com/lenstarnes www.slideshare.net/lenstarnes
Len Starnes
Len Starnes Digital Healthcare Research & Consulting