Eight characteristics of sociable professionals & organisations

Eight characteristics of sociable professionals & organisations

by | Aug 30, 2015 | mental health, PhD, social media | 0 comments

What are the key characteristics of professionals and organisations who understand online social networks and participate in them in ways which are welcomed by their publics? My PhD thesis has sought to understand how relationships between people accessing and providing mental health services are being disrupted in online social networks. Whilst my ethnographic research focused on the sadly departed The World of Mentalists and its ecosystem of blogs fondly referred to as the madosphere, I am finishing my final chapter with some general insights about how professionals and organisations can be sociable in online spaces. Whilst my focus is on mental health, I think these insights have application beyond the mental health sphere. Below are my (very draft) eight characteristics of sociable professionals and eight characteristics of sociable organisations. I’d be massively grateful for your comments – please feel free to question, challenge and rip them to pieces! Eight characteristics of the sociable professional The sociable professional appreciates the affordances of online social networks for people to bolster their wellbeing through seeking information and producing their own content The sociable professional understands the benefits of peer support in online social networks to engender mental wellbeing, validation, resilience and self esteem The sociable professional facilitates digital inclusion to ensure people they support do not get left behind The sociable professional supports people in their blended offline and online lives where this is welcomed – navigating the perils and the possibilities The sociable professional respects and is an ally to people living with mental health difficulties who exploit online social networks to challenge stigma and discrimination The sociable professional mediates their...
Should all NHS premises provide free access to wi-fi

Should all NHS premises provide free access to wi-fi

by | Aug 16, 2015 | NHS stuff | 0 comments

Below is my argument for free access to wi-fi in NHS settings that I made in a recent ‘head to head’ article in the British Medical Journal. You can find the full article, including the ‘no’ argument made by GP Grant Ingrams here. Aspirations for digital technology to transform health and care systems are high. The UK government’s reportPersonalised Health and Care 2020 sets out a framework for digital technology to improve patients’ experience and outcomes with more efficient services.1 Citizens will have full access to their care records, an expanding set of NHS accredited health and care apps, and digital information services. We will transact with health services by accessing diagnostic results, ordering prescriptions, and contributing patient generated information to our care record. This bold ambition can be realised only with digitally engaged citizens and the removal of barriers such as lack of access to public wi-fi in healthcare settings. The health divide will widen unless action is taken to ensure that people who are digitally less confident have access to their health information and can make sense of it.2 Digital ubiquity Digital technologies are increasingly widespread in day to day life, but healthcare seems to lag behind other sectors and the expectations of citizens.1 The telecommunications regulator Ofcom says that 93% of UK adults have a mobile phone and 61% have a smartphone.3 The 2013 Oxford Survey of Internet Cultures, which included around 2600 UK adults, indicated a trend for people to use their mobile handset to access the internet and a growth in “next generation users,” who use multiple devices on the move.4 We have seen substantial increases...