Comments on: An Old School Take on New Technology: Just Because You Can, Should You? http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/ Internet Healthcare Collaboration Tue, 13 Mar 2012 06:08:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ed Bennett http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Ed Bennett Fri, 18 May 2007 14:30:32 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-37 Neal, Those are fascinating blogs - I'm going to share them with folks at my hospital. I get many inquiries from my internal customers about blogs - What are they? Should I do one? Would it help promote our services? They don't realize that a successful blog shares a personal point of view - from an individual, not a corporation. And it's a lot of work! These CEO's are the exception - this kind of casual blogging would not feel comfortable to most C-level executives. Neal,

Those are fascinating blogs – I’m going to share them with folks at my hospital. I get many inquiries from my internal customers about blogs – What are they? Should I do one? Would it help promote our services?

They don’t realize that a successful blog shares a personal point of view – from an individual, not a corporation. And it’s a lot of work!

These CEO’s are the exception – this kind of casual blogging would not feel comfortable to most C-level executives.

]]> By: Neal Linkon http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Neal Linkon Wed, 16 May 2007 19:45:07 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-36 I wasn't meaning to be critical of what Chris is doing, but if you really want to see a health care blog, check these out: http://runningahospital.blogspot.com/ http://windberblog.typepad.com/ And I agree that any means to communicate is worth trying, and then measuring to determine if the effort was worth the return. ROI doesn't always have to translate into dollars. The return on your investment could be X number of consumers learning more about their health! I wasn’t meaning to be critical of what Chris is doing, but if you really want to see a health care blog, check these out:

http://runningahospital.blogspot.com/
http://windberblog.typepad.com/

And I agree that any means to communicate is worth trying, and then measuring to determine if the effort was worth the return. ROI doesn’t always have to translate into dollars. The return on your investment could be X number of consumers learning more about their health!

]]> By: Chris Sadler http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Chris Sadler Fri, 11 May 2007 19:44:38 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-35 It's not about the technology ... really ... it's about communicating. And, if your target audience is communicating in a certain way, shouldn't you? I think RSS is a great example. If journalists who have you as their beat are using RSS feeds as a way to stay informed, shouldn't you have RSS in your newsroom? I mean, you wouldn't dream of not sending them a fax when fax machines were how they received their information. And, ouch, Neal (we're a hospital system in Neal's market with a blog :) ). While it's true that we don't offer real-time feedback, it is our intention of posting all comments. There are some things we cannot and will not. But that argument (and I'm sure it would be very robust) aside, again, it's simply a way of communicating. This blog by a cancer doc is a great way of humanizing what we do. People have been very receptive to receiving this viewpoint. And why not have it on your organization's site vs. blogspot? It’s not about the technology … really … it’s about communicating. And, if your target audience is communicating in a certain way, shouldn’t you? I think RSS is a great example. If journalists who have you as their beat are using RSS feeds as a way to stay informed, shouldn’t you have RSS in your newsroom? I mean, you wouldn’t dream of not sending them a fax when fax machines were how they received their information.

And, ouch, Neal (we’re a hospital system in Neal’s market with a blog :) ). While it’s true that we don’t offer real-time feedback, it is our intention of posting all comments. There are some things we cannot and will not. But that argument (and I’m sure it would be very robust) aside, again, it’s simply a way of communicating. This blog by a cancer doc is a great way of humanizing what we do. People have been very receptive to receiving this viewpoint. And why not have it on your organization’s site vs. blogspot?

]]> By: Judy Stokes http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Judy Stokes Thu, 10 May 2007 16:55:10 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-34 Thanks, all, for your comments on this concept. I agree with Ed that there is a meta-message of being technologically "with it" that has value. I am hoping we can achieve that image with a few, well-thought-out steps into new technology instead of running into it blindly. Interesting times that we live in... Thanks, all, for your comments on this concept. I agree with Ed that there is a meta-message of being technologically “with it” that has value.

I am hoping we can achieve that image with a few, well-thought-out steps into new technology instead of running into it blindly.

Interesting times that we live in…

]]> By: plandis1 http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-33 plandis1 Wed, 09 May 2007 21:48:36 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-33 Or how about Secnod Life and There and Whyville...I couldn't agree more with Judy. Healthcare must stay focused on using the web to deliver the service to make it easier for our patients to interact with us. Appointments, evisits, portals, etc. all do that. While we do do RSS and podcasts (minimal investment), it does transform our business, improve patient care, grow the business or make it easier for patients. Good post. Or how about Secnod Life and There and Whyville…I couldn’t agree more with Judy. Healthcare must stay focused on using the web to deliver the service to make it easier for our patients to interact with us. Appointments, evisits, portals, etc. all do that.

While we do do RSS and podcasts (minimal investment), it does transform our business, improve patient care, grow the business or make it easier for patients. Good post.

]]> By: Ed Bennett http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Ed Bennett Wed, 09 May 2007 21:39:46 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-32 I agree with the above comments - you shouldn't doing something just because it's "cool". However ROI isn't the only factor. A web presence that offers information using current, up-to-date technology is a positive reflection on your hospital. The meta-message is that if your website is on top of current trends, then maybe your hospital is too. But don't any of these things unless you can do them well - I agree with Neal, an empty blog is worse than no blog at all. I agree with the above comments – you shouldn’t doing something just because it’s “cool”. However ROI isn’t the only factor. A web presence that offers information using current, up-to-date technology is a positive reflection on your hospital. The meta-message is that if your website is on top of current trends, then maybe your hospital is too.

But don’t any of these things unless you can do them well – I agree with Neal, an empty blog is worse than no blog at all.

]]> By: Neal Linkon http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Neal Linkon Wed, 09 May 2007 21:21:46 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-31 Some of those things are easy to add, and can make content more accessible for users. Adding an rss feed to your news release section, for example, is very simple and ours has hundreds of users. We also found doing consumer podcasts pretty easy, and while the audience is growing, it isn't huge. But the investment is fairly minimal. But I agree that for some things, it makes no sense. There are hospital systems in our market offering physician "blogs" that are really blogs in name only. No opportunity for comment, discussion or community. I wonder about the value of doing that. The bottom line, as always, is if you can't show worthwhile results, being "cool" doesn't help patients or pay any bills! Some of those things are easy to add, and can make content more accessible for users. Adding an rss feed to your news release section, for example, is very simple and ours has hundreds of users. We also found doing consumer podcasts pretty easy, and while the audience is growing, it isn’t huge. But the investment is fairly minimal. But I agree that for some things, it makes no sense. There are hospital systems in our market offering physician “blogs” that are really blogs in name only. No opportunity for comment, discussion or community. I wonder about the value of doing that.

The bottom line, as always, is if you can’t show worthwhile results, being “cool” doesn’t help patients or pay any bills!

]]> By: Dale Cruse http://webiscope.com/2007/05/an-old-school-take-on-new-technology-just-because-you-can-should-you/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Dale Cruse Wed, 09 May 2007 19:39:10 +0000 http://creativity-unleashed.net/webiscope/?p=27#comment-30 This post is very timely, as we are experiencing the exact same thing. Though I'm very comfortable with the newer technologies you mentioned, I take a very strong line of not employing technology for the sake of technology. If some new bit of technology clearly works for us and we have the time to develop it, then great - let's use it. If not, then no. Good topic! This post is very timely, as we are experiencing the exact same thing. Though I’m very comfortable with the newer technologies you mentioned, I take a very strong line of not employing technology for the sake of technology. If some new bit of technology clearly works for us and we have the time to develop it, then great – let’s use it. If not, then no.

Good topic!

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