Facebook has been making tentative steps in the health tech realm. I’m not referring to Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropic ambitions. But the social media network has demonstrated an interest in some diverse areas from genomic testing to public health. There’s even more going on with its Internet.org division but the company has been pretty tight-lipped about new developments on this front with most information on healthcare projects coming from entrepreneurs rather than the technology company. Here are a few areas that could grow in 2016.
Genomics
University of Michigan researchers developed a Facebook app called Genes for Good to support a genetic testing initiative. Participants use the app to participate in the study, answer health-related questions, and view summaries of their health related information. The ongoing study is designed to help people learn about their genetic ancestry as well as their daily health habits compared to other participants.
In 2015, it received 8,310 would be study participants but only 3,702 were deemed eligible to provide a DNA sample, according to its latest blog post. Although it limited the amount of health data it provided to participants, wary of getting into hot water with the FDA, it doesn’t seem to have put off willing participants. This year, it plans to expand on the project by streamlining the eligibility process. Participants will also get access to their genetic data this month. Given Michigan’s success, it’s highly likely other research initiatives will develop their own Facebook apps.
Medication adherence/patient engagement
Partners HealthCare used Facebook as part of a study with other institutions to see if it could improve patient engagement to manage asthma with things like medication reminders and positive feedback. I expect more hospitals and health systems will evaluate the effectiveness of reaching patients through Facebook with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and potentially following up with patients recovering from procedures.
Patient communities
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
In 2014, Reuters revealed murmurings about a push by Facebook to create patient communities. So far we have heard nothing more about this but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s abandoned the idea. As we have seen with PatientsLikeMe, HealthCrowd, and HealthUnlocked in the UK, among others, patients will join and use patient communities if they are structured in the right way and balance the needs of their members with transparency about how their data is used.
Blood donation/organ donation
Social Blood wants to turn Facebook “into the largest blood bank” through its Free Basics channel to improve Internet access in developing countries. In a recent article, the social network claimed that through Free Basics, Social Blood has connected thousands of patients across the globe to life saving blood products. Looking back to the popularity of the ALS ice bucket challenge, partly due to the power of sharing videos of friends doing something funny for a greater cause, it’s worth wondering how it could be used to raise awareness of public health needs such as organ donation.
