---
title: "Participatory Medicine, Connected Health"
description: "I presented our latest data on social media and health to the Center for Connected Health's 2008 Symposium in Boston."
date: "2008-10-30"
authors:
  - name: "Susannah Fox"
    job_title: "Former Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/susannah-fox/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2008/10/30/participatory-medicine-connected-health/"
categories:
  - "Health Care"
  - "Health Policy"
  - "Healthcare Online"
  - "Medicine & Health"
  - "Social Media"
tags:
  - "Web 2.0"
---

# Participatory Medicine, Connected Health

The Center for Connected Health's 2008 Symposium was held in Boston on October 27-28, 2008. I gave a talk entitled, "[Participatory Medicine](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/PPF/r/253/presentation_display.asp): How User-Generated Media are Changing American Attitudes and Actions, Online and Off."

Much of what I said can be traced directly to the conversations we have every day on [e-patients.net](http://e-patients.net/), as well as to the data that the Pew Internet Project generates. But one of the most important insights came after my speech, in a conversation with Lena Sorenson, RN, PhD, an Associate Professor at the [MGH Institute of Health Professions](http://www.mghihp.edu/?cw=1). She pointed out that my [7-word challenge](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/PPF/r/249/report_display.asp) focuses on doctors and should instead focus on "providers" (doctors, yes, but also nurses, therapists, and every other health care professional who cares for people). I updated my slides before uploading them to the Pew Internet site to reflect that important change.