By Date:

• April 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
• August 2012
• July 2012
• June 2012
• May 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• July 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• November 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• July 2007
• June 2007
• May 2007
• April 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• January 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• July 2006
• June 2006
• May 2006
• April 2006
• March 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005
• July 2005
• June 2005

Home » Articles » Announcements

I'll be speaking at SxSWinteractive 2011! Come meet me and join the conversation!

by Jenni Prokopy, the Editrix

So much exciting news to report today...including the announcement that I'll be speaking at SxSWinteractive 2011 this March! I hope you'll be able to come meet me and join in the conversation.

Health Communities: Superheroes Who Need a Justice League

I'll be presenting on a topic that's close to home: the need for better online health communities. Here's the summary of my solo talk:

Research shows online health communities (OHCs) offer extensive benefits to members. But the variance in quality and effectiveness is huge. And Pew Internet research shows only 52% of adults with multiple chronic illnesses go online for health information.

A good OHC has the power to change lives. For many people, the worst day of their life is when they’re diagnosed; OHCs can provide respite, education and empowerment when members otherwise would feel alone. There’s as much demand for, say, an OHC on Raynaud's Phenomenon as there is for one on knitting. Yet while Ravelry is bustling, gorgeous and easy to navigate, good luck finding a useful forum about life with cold toes and hands.

OHCs could be better. They need a governing board, or a set of principles to aspire to follow.

I will lead a presentation on: Strategies for helping OHCs get around black hat SEO so they’re easier to find, especially by novices; Ways OHCs can partner with hospitals or other organizations, avoiding conflicts of interest while capitalizing on their financial stability and resources; Techniques for teaming with non-profits to extend reach; Ways to reach under-served populations, including people of color, families below the poverty level, rural communities and the aged; How to keep members long-term using better I.A. and usability; Using strategies of the biggest OHCs for niche OHCs.

So will you meet me in Austin next month?

This presentation will be the BEST if I have a bunch of savvy online folks in the audience who want to talk about how we can all work together to make OHCs better. Will you join the conversation? I sure hope so! We can connect using the SxSW Social page.

Even if you're not attending SxSW but you live in Austin or nearby and you're a Chronicbabe, let me know! The best way to connect is through Twitter; I'm @chronicbabe, 'natch. I'd love to meet up, even if it's just to clink beers during a night out and hug you hello.

Posted: 2/4/2011 in Announcements

Herbal tea tastes better in a ChronicBabe mug! (So does a frosty beer.) Buy yours today!

Comments

Welcome to our new comments feature! We're using DISQUS, a powerful feature that lets you create a new account or log in using your existing Twitter or Facebook account. You can comment, participate in a threaded conversation, receive updates on conversations via email (and even reply via email!) and more. Give it a try! (And thanks for your patience while we play with this new feature!)