The results suggest online health programs can be a powerful tool for reducing attrition, said Caroline Richardson, MD, associate professor of family medicine at the UM Medical School. Seventy-nine percent of participants who used online forums to motivate each other went through the entire 16-week walking program, compared to the 66 percent of those who didn’t have access to the online forums and still completed the program.
The approach to online media can also help organization produce significant savings compared to traditional practices, such as face-to-face coaching, which can be expensive to do on a large scale.
Read the UM news release about online social media in healthcare.
Read other coverage about social media in healthcare:
– 6 Keys to Successfully Fitting Healthcare Information Technology Into Accountable Care Organizations
– NLRB Complaint Leaves Employers Reviewing Social Media Policies
