…What will happen when the untapped knowledge of every patient, of every caregiver, of everyone who has something of value to share actually has the opportunity to share it?

That’s the next frontier.  It is no longer about access.  It’s about uploads. It’s about inputs.  It’s about learning from each other.

Patients are not the only ones who can benefit from this new model of participatory medicine. Institutions can too.

E-patient Dave deBronkart is a tech geek who also happens to be a cancer survivor. He used CaringBridge during his illness to stay in touch with his friends and family. He used ACOR to gather expert peer advice about kidney cancer. He used Beth Israel’s PatientSite to keep up to date on his treatments and communicate with his doctors.

Excellent post reflecting on and looking at the implications of the accessibility of information because of the advances made, and the advances that will come, in mobile and social web technologies as it relates to health management at the Pew Internet and American Life Project website. Read the rest of The Power of Mobile here.

It definitely is a matter of when, not if, mobile will take a larger role not just in health, but in education, government, and faith-based pursuits. What are some of these implications, and how do you approach these changes in light of what you want to use, and what’s being marketed to you?