Boston Medical Center to Use Mobile Support System for Patients

A major healthcare provider is embracing social media by joining forces with OneHealth Solutions to provide patients with an online and mobile peer support platform.

Boston Medical Center hopes it can better engage with patients through California-based OneHealth's private, HIPAA-compliant network of social health communities dealing in issues such as tobacco, obesity and depression.

Robert L. Sokolove, associate clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at the Boston center, said in a press release: "We are committed to providing innovative services like OneHealth that engage and motivate patients to make better health decisions and support BMC’s ongoing initiatives to improve primary care.

"In particular, OneHealth’s technology-enabled platform aligns with our PCMH program to help foster partnerships between patients and BMC’s primary care physicians and encourage new perspectives and behaviors that help improve health outcomes."

The partnership is designed to give patients an online and mobile peer support group to encourage self-management and engagement between office visits.

It will also help to facilitate the integration of BMC's Patient-Centered Medical Home program, mHealthNews.com reports.

Bruce Springer, OneHealth's CEO, said in a release: "Our vision from the beginning has been to integrate peer support communities with gaming techniques and clinical expertise.

"Our significant growth in the past six months demonstrates market validation for OneHealth’s peer-based platform to support the complex challenges associated with chronic disease management and behavior change.

The use of mobile technology in the healthcare system will be the focus of IDGA’s DoD/VA mHealth summit in November. For more details, go to http://www.militarymobilehealth.com/