Health 2.0

Continuing its push to redefine the traditional user-generated experience and broaden the scope of patient-community interactions, Health World Web has introduced its Personalized Recommendation Engine on its Web site, enhancing the delivery of relevant and interesting health-related content to its users. With the PRE’s smart search and matching technology, users will no longer need to wade through a lot of irrelevant information, but will instead easily find what they need and want.

PRE, in short, will provide patients with personalized and relevant recommendations about articles, blogs, forum postings, links, local communities, as well as doctor background information, ratings and reviews.

With the complex structure and the influx of information on-line, it is easy for users to get inundated by content that they will care nothing about. Often, they will be bombarded with irrelevant material that will waste their time and energy reading. With the launch of the PRE technology, current and new users may be informed of new information, communities and content that they will find valuable. The PRE technology utilizes user data and activities on the site and then matches it with new content. PRE makes sure that the user is informed of new communities he or she could join, new discussions to participate in at no additional cost, and no change in his or her site experience. Think of it as an on-site RSS syndication service that knows who the user is and will deliver important to him/her information. No hassles, no fuss, just the content one is interested in. And just like RSS syndication, users get the information they want and need in a way that’s easy for them.

The world of health social networking has already found its way into the traditionally conservative world of health care. Millions have already discovered health-related Web 2.0 sites offering advice, search, content, scheduling of appointments and even doctor visits online. This on-line social revolution benefits patients to an even greater degree than the already established and proven collective social interactions concerning wine, cars, cameras and restaurants.

Health 2.0 has made it possible to give the power back to the consumer, especially in choosing the best health care for oneself or a loved one. The winning combination is where personal choices are backed by community advice.

HealthWorldWeb.com, taking part in this revolution of sorts was launched in 2006 and has since grown significantly. In combining social networking and intelligent search, HealthWorldWeb.com makes it easier to create user-generated content on various health-related concerns, making it possible to find online social and emotional support, recommendations, advice and tips. The site also features information about physicians, dentists, chiropractors and other healthcare professionals aimed at helping consumers make educated and informed decisions, backed by recommendations by a related on-site community. Further, the site also features provider ratings from simple numerical ratings, to full-text reviews and detailed surveys.

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