Web 2.0 in Medicine: a combination of useful tools and an opportunity for change

Abstract

Web evolution over past years has brought in new ways of using it, favouring user participation and collaboration to generate content. This new kind of web has been called Web 2.0, and the concept Medicine 2.0 has emerged from its application to Medicine.This article describes some web tools chosen according to their possible interest to pediatricians and to their potential to impact on health care, as blogs, microblogging, and wikis. Social networks and other web services that facilitate integration of health care users and providers, as well as online patient communities, are also analysed. Finally, possible usefulness of Open Data and mashups for Public Health, and how new web tools may influence health care are discussed.