Social media is beginning to transform the health care industry. And it couldn't come at a better time. Health care reform tops the agenda throughout North America, driven by a need to rein in excess spending, increase efficiencies, enhance delivery times and create broader access to service.

There is no doubt that the future of health care will be driven by a 2.0 world: it will be open, collaborative and marked by increased consumer control and personalization. In fact, social technologies are already carving out a place in the health care industry. And communities are emerging around three unique needs:

• Practitioner Communities: bring together key stakeholders, including hospitals and clinical professionals, to work together to improve health care delivery.
• Research Communities: facilitate novel, innovative approaches to the development and delivery of new diagnostics, preventatives and treatments. 
• Patient Communities: provide patients with a meeting place where they can network, discuss and share experiences around a health condition in a peer-to-peer environment.

This health care series focuses on clinical integration and the use of online communities to connect practitioners and providers in order to improve service delivery. During each webinar, you'll hear real-life case studies that describe how health care professionals are coming together to network, share knowledge and collaborate across borders and boundaries.

Health Care 2.0 Part 1 - A Customer Support Community for Primary Care Practices
June 29, 2010

Health Care 2.0 Part 2 - A Social Network for Pharmacists
August 19, 2010

Health Care 2.0 Part 3 - A Virtual Learning Community for Healthcare Professionals
September 30, 2010

Health Care 2.0 Part 4 - Building Healthcare Communities with Social Technologies

To find out more about how IGLOO Software is enabling health care professionals to leverage the
power of social networking, check out our customer showcase.