Last time I was in Austin, I met with the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas at a Social Business Panel. Learn from this team — they are doing some incredible things!
The Medical Center wanted a way to help patients and families learn from one another’s experiences and improve education and support networks, with the hope of driving more effectively managed care. As the 7th largest pediatric healthcare provider in the US- with nearly 570,000 patient visits every year- and a network of physicians and employees, they had a large potential ‘social graph’ to tap into. They created a single experience for their patients, which integrated health records, educational material, tools, and the Children’s Social Network into a single experience, CMDC provided patients and parents with a private community for communication and support. They estimate that this single experience will drive a 75% reduction in clinic phone calls, a 5% increase in referrals, integration within the continuity of care and reduced operating costs.
These communities do work — and they can be secure! What are you doing with your communities?
