Ideas

FaceBook is not really known to be a secure application for this type of stuff. Medical info has a lot of laws with it.

I don't know if it needs to be all that complicated: when you went to the dentist, what medication your doctor prescribed, that sort of thing. While the information is invaluable to your health providers, having that information "leaked" would only be bad in the hands of your insurance providers -- and I don't think they employ people to hack Facebook!

I think Kevin is right: this wan't be easy. In my home coutry they try to set up a system like this and for the time being there is more talking then implementing.
I wouldn't want this to be part of facebook either. But the need for this kind of application is clear.
I think there are also legal problems: what happens if the wrong information is displayed?
Tommy

There are a few competing services in addition to Microsoft's product. E.g.
http://www.myhealtharchive.com/

The interface could be as simple or as complicated as you want. I worked on a similar app that had a very extensive medical history questionnaire, but you could also get by with more of a journal interface with good search capability (i.e. chronological entries with tags rather than complex input forms).

Security is paramount. It has to be your absolute #1 consideration for this kind of info. If you don't think insurance providers employ facebook hackers, just wait until 10 minutes after you deploy this app. They will, and every identity thief on the planet will too.

Regarding security, deploying this as a facebook app doesn't necessarily hurt your security. You could design it to be secure within that context. However, it does seriously hurt your marketing. I'd never go near a facebook app like this no matter how secure if I could get similar functionality in a stand-alone or more trusted platform.

I think your last point is the deal breaker in any context. In other words: Do I trust Microsoft or Google with this information, or is there a way that I can "own" my content and choose who to share it with?

After familiarizing myself with the social network I realized that Facebook is developing new features to control who has access to certain information on your profile.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily answer your opinions of Facebook -- which may or may not be problematic depending on your demographics.

However, I'm assuming that a Facebook app still requires an external site to store the data. This should allow the application to appear on other networks such as Ning and MySpace.

Is this correct?

I think that's true. You could definitely do a Facebook app that stored data on your server and did so securely, so neither Facebook nor your own employees could access the data without the user's key. And you could build it so that the back-end data store could be accessed from lots of client tools whether embedded in something like facebook or not. I just think you have a perception and marketing problem deploying this within Facebook. IMO, secure data storage and social networking are both valuable tools, but there's very little reason to blend them and trying to mount a secure data tool within a social network seems pointless (to me).

I'd go with a solution that stored data on your server and did so securely, so neither Facebook nor anyone else could access the data without the user's key. And you SHOULD build it so that the back-end data store could be accessed from all kinds of client tools as well as web/mobile browsers, whether embedded in something like Facebook or not.

I would stay away from facebook but I would still look at the second part of this project

I just got back from presenting "social networking" to a room full of medical professionals at Kaiser Permanente -- and they LOVED it. The big difference is recognizing that our medical information is not simply a line item in a database, but an aspect of a living, breathing person who is, in turn, connected to other living, breathing people in the healthcare community.

Even though my presentation was in regards to a private application that strictly pertains to healthcare professionals, their positive reception tells me that social networking CAN work for PERSONAL healthcare -- even if Facebook shines a negative light on the security / professionalism / etc.

If we're throwing out the bathwater and keeping the "social networking" baby, then what approach would be better than Facebook? Yet-ANOTHER-Social-Network (by a group of unknowns less trustworthy than Facebook), possibly in the Open Source "People Trust" arena?

I'm taking the Cambrian advice on this one. Thoughts?

I would look into other country's health systems I am pretty sure Japan has each person carry a medical data card with all there info or something like that. Which cuts down on administration costs. Then again its a custom system. But, still a lot to learn what works and want does not.

I know I have heard that a few company's have a secure usb drive, system so patents could keep medical records on a specialized usb card. Which is genius as far as marketing because they charge twice as much for a simple low capacity usb device.

What are the specifics needs for the social part of this information? Perhaps some way to track the info and situations in which people got sick. Like there environment and such for research. Where does the social networking part come in exactly?

I would say having a more in-house solution would work, much better. Something where you could use the browser online. Then it will store it on the website as well as the ability to download a software program on a USB device.

The social networking component for the in-house solution I'm developing for Kaiser allows their medical professionals to deal with people (as opposed to simply the data which drives similar applications).

In other words, the medical details, such as surgery requests or complete care plans, are not viewed through form numbers or database directories, but through names and contacts, exactly like people in a social network interact with one another.

I see the same benefits for patients as they are people, too. However, each patient wouldn't be a part of every "in-house solution," which requires an open network -- an open, social network -- to INDEPENDENTLY manage their data.

err... What? So, where is the social networking? Is the patent somehow chatting with a doctor or something?

"In other words, the medical details, such as surgery requests or complete care plans, are not viewed through form numbers or database directories, but through names and contacts"
Don't most medical forms have your name and contact info on them. I pretty sure they is multiple points used to look up patents files.

hospitals already have this... the VA is really leasing the way

The subtlety of social networking is that most of the requisite information already exists: profiles, messages, activities, etc. However, simply HAVING this information doesn't make online medical forms (etc.) a social network.

A social network is defined by the manner in which a user connects to the content. If you're simply reading through stacks of data, you're not interacting in a social network.

Once you see the distinction, the next step is understanding the value of connecting humans together within a network of information -- how the information is created, verified, shared, etc.

If this makes sense -- to connect the medical professionals together on a deeper level than 'data entry' -- then doesn't this also make sense to get the patients involved in the process?

Just curious... how much relevant patient data are we talking about storing in this 'Vault'? Years ago I was involved in quite a few HIS/RIS and DICOM projects. I remember dealing with some pretty knarly issues regarding the archiving and retreival of medical images, especially across heterogenous systems.

AHIMA.org has created one of the most comprehensive health information forms I've come across, which includes basic identification information, emergency contacts, healthcare and insurance providers, as well as a ton of information regarding your medical history, list of allergies, treatments, prescriptions, etc.

I believe that this (or something similar) should be a model for our own vault.

This may be old news, but I just noticed Google is getting into the game:
https://www.google.c...html/tour/index.html