Do you ever feel like technology is moving so fast, you think you've missed the train? Over the past decade the Internet emerged from a place to search and download information (the phase known as Web 1.0) to a virtual environment where people can interact, collaborate, seek and share information, and create virtual online communities around a shared interest (the phase known as Web 2.0).
O'Reilly, who is considered to be the father of Web 2.0 stated that the success of Web 2.0 lay in the fact that it provided tools that embraced the power of the Internet to harness collective intelligence (O'Reilly, 2005). For the last few years people in the computer technology world have already begun talking about the next phase: Web 3.0. This is where users will interact with the Internet using more senses (e.g. touch, vibration, smell).
According to the Pew Research Center 61 percent of Americans go online for health information, which tells us that many consumers want and, more importantly, are willing to use online health resources (Hardy, 2010). Interactive online technologies enable us to seek, find, collect, organize and share share information with others.
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People working in health care have not adopted interactive online tools the way that people in sectors such as business, education and politics have. Hamilton and Penman (2010) suggest potential reasons behind the slow uptake of online online technology by healthcare practitioners, including:
- The healthcare workplace culture values "clinical contact and occasions of service" (McCluskey & Cusick, 2002, p.66) in preference to time spent on professional development.
- Health care practitioners have limited access to the Internet at work (McCluskey, 2003; Schaper & Pervan, 2007).
- Ongoing professional development is seen as a personal responsibility (Jantzen, 2008).
- Confidentiality, professionalism and self-protectionism concern healthcare practitioners, which may prevent them from utilising online technology tools in practice (Baerlocher & Detsky, 2008).
Rainie (2010) reports in a summary of a Pew Internet Research report that 72% of technology stakeholders and critics agreed with the statement: "By 2020, innovative forms of online cooperation will result in significantly more efficient and responsive governments, business, non-profits, and other mainstream institutions", but this change will cause tension and disruption.
Although healthcare has been slower to adopt online technology, best practice models are emerging (Kamel Boulos & Wheeler, 2007; Seeman, 2008). Early adopters of online technology across all healthcare professions are identifying the importance of online technology in the future of healthcare education and practice. Practitioners are advocating for the judicious utilisation of interactive online tools such as wikis, blogs and podcasts created for and by healthcare practitioners (Barsky & Giustini, 2008; Kamel Boulos & Wheeler, 2007; McClean et al, Wardman, 2007; Potts, 2006; Schembri, 2008; Bodell, Penman, Hook, Wade & Berry, 2008).
This wiki was developed by a group of occupational therapists who were “early adopters” of online technology. Our vision was to share our knowledge and skills and to make the journey easier for others.
Please respect the spirit in which this website was developed and then shared with all. The creation of the content has been collaborative, with the intent that others will draw out what is useful, perhaps reorganising or representing the content. To ensure that users are aware of what is possible, please refer to the Creative Commons License below and on each page to understand what can legally be done.
And of course, join us on the continuation of the journey and let us know about your experiences via our Facebook group.
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Comments (2)
Anita Hamilton said
at 9:36 pm on May 7, 2010
If you want to make a comment on the bottom of a page please do! Cheers, Anita.
Merrolee Penman said
at 12:32 pm on May 9, 2010
Thanks Anita - really encourage those who attended our presentation at WFOT or who didn't to leave us comments/ask questions etc etc...
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