The rise of patient communities that have taken root on the borderless geography of the Internet. But there are so many that some companies have spotted an opportunity to organize them to better direct would-be users. HealthUnlocked is a UK-based healthcare startup that likens itself to LinkedIn for healthcare. It’s successfully attracted users in the U.S., so much so that it has expanded to include partnerships with U.S.-based patient groups, according to a company statement.
Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder Matt Jameson Evans told MedCity News the move follows a strong response it received at Health Datapalooza and the reality that its U.S. audience is about to outstrip its UK user base, in an emailed response to questions.
To underscore his point, Evans called up this link to a community about Parkinson’s disease.
“Content is mostly about day-to-day management of the real issues of chronic illness,” Evans said. “It’s been remarkable that this type of content serves US citizens so well even when it’s not often from US patients. It took us by surprise!”
Evans said the company distinguishes itself with “semantic intelligence” and profiles readers’ interests so they can easily navigate through topics that appeal to them. Users can also list their own interests so the company can personalize content.
Patient communities like PatientsLikeMe, Feelalike.com, and SmartPatients, a cancer patient community started by Dr Roni Zeiger who was once Google’s chief health strategist, have thrived as people increasingly seek out peers on social networks who can provide insights about their condition in ways that nurses and physicians can’t.
