I’ve written previously about the growth in platforms allowing healthcare professionals to share information and insights.  Whilst there is evidence that doctors do value the opportunity to converse with other doctors about medical issues.

A study by Johns Hopkins University earlier this year shed some light on the extent of usage.  The study revealed that one in four American doctors are using social media on a daily basis.  They’re not using it for casual purposes though, but rather to scan or explore medical information, with another 14% contributing to the body of information already on social media.

Sixty-one percent of the doctors said they use social media once a week or more to look for information, and 46 percent said they contribute new information once a week or more, according to the study, which appeared recently in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

It’s in this context that the following TED talk was made.  It sees Stefan Larrson from the Boston Consulting Group talk about the importance of doctors performing their role in a collaborative way.  It’s no longer acceptable he says for the standard of care to differ so widely from hospital to hospital, and doctors should take the lead in ensuring that best practice approaches are shared amongst the profession.

Could health care get better — and cheaper — if doctors learn from each other in a continuous feedback loop?  With the cost of healthcare rising around the world, it’s a question well worth asking.  Enjoy the talk and let me know your thoughts in the comments.