Comments on: Health 2.0 / Ix Conference: What About Minority Representation?

By: Media Coverage of Ix-Health 2.0 Conference | Information Therapy (Ix) Blog

Media Coverage of Ix-Health 2.0 Conference | Information Therapy (Ix) Blog — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:28:26 +0000

[...] Health 2.0 meets Ix: The Rise of the Patient Voices by Gilles Frydman on e-Patients.net, and a follow-up post on Health 2.0/Ix Conference: What About Minority Representation? [...]

By: Deborah Bell

Deborah Bell — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:00:38 +0000

It’s not just the panelists, it’s the attendees who aren’t diverse. Background/class/culture… all play a role. The differences in approach have been made abundantly clear to me. So make the conference(s) affordable and get more people, more diversity? NOT just the panelists!

You can have all the diverse panelists you want, and the message will not get out to their communities. We all need more dialogue on this issue.

By: Leroy Jones, Jr.

Leroy Jones, Jr. — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:35:58 +0000

Gentlemen:

I enjoyed my time @ Health 2.0, but the lack of diversity was apparent. The ideas discussed are things that everyone should be hearing about. I was impressed with all the presenters and conference attendees that I met. Regardless, there are even more voices and ideas that can be added to the mix.

At this point, it is not about who is not there. It all about making sure you get those voices and ideas to the table.

This is no time for finger pointing or blame. There are too many people dying and suffering that can be and will be made better by the efforts of the people working in this industry. I have seen the Health Care System up close and personal . . . when you are sick or ill getting treatment and getting better can never be about who you are.

Feel free to reach out anytime.

PS: You should know the fearless co-founder of Health 2.0, Matt Holt, has opened up a dialoging with me.

Working Together we will make a difference.

All the best,

Leroy Jones, Jr.
About Talking Technology with Leroy Jones, Jr.

“E-HEALTH RECORDS” – NEW SHOW /a>

By: Gilles Frydman

Gilles Frydman — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Matt,

I agree that the problem is bigger than the conference. It applies to all the health conferences I have attended in the last 13 years, bar a few organized by the NCI or organized specifically to deal with this issue.

But with some help, from Josh, myself (if you want) and others, I am quite confident it can be addressed in time for the next SF Health 2.0 conference.

I think Leroy Jones has a point! But that should not be the main reason to deal head-on with this issue for which we are all equally responsible.

By: Carey

Carey — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:44:41 +0000

Very important and relevant post/point, thanks. Aside from racial diversity let’s also not forget social, gender and race issues as well. Without doing so, I am afraid e-patients might be helping to create a form of “e-risk” for all those who can’t become engaged, empowered and so because on relations/constructions of gender, race and class. I think it’s also important to not simply settle for diverse “representation” either. Instead, allow and encourage these voices to actually speak and be heard, rather than be “present”. The e-movements hold too much hope for an responsible and participatory healthcare agenda to make this only done and achieved by an isolated group of individuals….

By: Matthew Holt

Matthew Holt — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:32:31 +0000

oops, hit print too sooI mean “In fact Leroy Jones cornered me and started describing the political issue that would result from this issue NOT being addressed in DC”

By: Matthew Holt

Matthew Holt — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:28:15 +0000

Hey Giles, there was an Indian, a Frenchman, a Brit an a Jew. Surely good enough?

OK….joking aside, you are quite right AND this is a serious issue both for the conference AND for the Health 2.0 crowd as a whole. In fact Leroy Jones cornered me and started describing the political issue that

We clearly need more female & minority representation…..not something easy to do in the young tech crowd. But your point is completely taken. We’ll be working on this with your and other help.

thanks
Matthew

By: Melva T-Robinson

Melva T-Robinson — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:12:16 +0000

RT @ePatientDave: splendid. RT @gfry post: “Health 2.0 / Ix Conference: What About Minority Representation?” http://bit.ly/5I0TR

By: ePatientDave

ePatientDave — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:21:13 +0000

splendid. RT @gfry post: “Health 2.0 / Ix Conference: What About Minority Representation?” http://bit.ly/5I0TR

By: Health 2.0 meets Ix: The Rise of the Patient Voices | e-Patients.net

Health 2.0 meets Ix: The Rise of the Patient Voices | e-Patients.net — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:04:16 +0000

[...] 4/30: see Gilles’s sequel post about minority representation. Gilles Frydman is a pioneer of medical online communities and founder, in 1995, of the [...]

By: Joshua Seidman

Joshua Seidman — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:55:09 +0000

Gilles,

I completely agree. We did not focus enough on this as in past conferences.

At our 2008 Ix Conference (see http://ixcenter.org/events/conference08/index.cfm), we had a whole track on “Ix & Health Disparities,” which had a whole set of sessions on relevant issues. The first day of the conference also had plenary session on “Ix & Health Literacy” and another on what we learned in the Patient-Centered HIT Initiative from observing patients and clinicians in safety-net settings.

In our IxAction Alliance, we have been pushing further down this path as well, and it’s on our agenda for future work.

By: Gilles Frydman

Gilles Frydman — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:55:29 +0000

New post: “Health 2.0 / Ix Conference: What About Minorities Representation?” http://bit.ly/5I0TR #health2con (forgot hashtag)

By: Gilles Frydman

Gilles Frydman — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:35:07 +0000

New post: “Health 2.0 / Ix Conference: What About Minorities Representation?” http://bit.ly/5I0TR