Establishing a web world for junior scientists

The University of Leicester Research Training Innovation Fund has funded a new project. Its an Health 2.0/science 2.0 project

They are trying to establish a small social networks for junior scientists which are lacking an important professional connections with their colleagues in the real world on the base that they are tend to work in an isolate environmemt ( small labs and on private projects/research).

The concept is to create seeds of small social networks that in the future will connect between themselves and will create a huge platform of brain storming for those who are really need it in the right time of their careers and they are lacking the right resources ( budgets and time) for that in this stage of their professional life.

The platform will bring some well known web 2.0 applications such as:

Rss , Microblogging tools, Wikis, Social bookmarking .

I think this is an important and a unique project :

1. The concept of not bieng a SU but a "kind of a research program" will give them an advantage to be more criticise and to learn more deeply the truely needs of the scientists from the web in general and from social networks particular

2. They choose the "right market" for this kind of project - Eager scientists who are willing to improve their abilities and professional connections. Most of them are probably young and are more prone to adopt advanced web
technologies
3. The concept of "small networks" will help them to examine more carefully the pro's and cons of the project and the applications within the networking.

So good luck guys
Let us know how you are progressing

Doccheck - Another community for Healthcare professionals

The official numbers are impressive for niche social community such as Doccheck - more than 500,000 users.
Its probably the leading healthcare community in Europe . The origin is from Germany.
These days they are intending to enlarge their community by openning their platform in variety of countries around the globe.It means offering multilingual platform and some related content in each country site.
Although the community is spreading today outside Europe the beginning was in Germany.
The Firms public information is that as 50 % of the german physician are members in this site. I presume that some of them are not really active.

Doccheck Faces is a simple Health/Medical 2.0 community .They are giving all the traditional applications of "web 2.0 community".
Their strength is of being the first in the neighborhood(Europe) . Maybe even being a "simple platform" is helping them with the busy consumers- the physicians.In the other hand this is their weakness as well - They must find out themselves again.Many others are oferring the same application.

Note :

Their have a unique database by offering to their registrated members a password system who used to control access to over 1700 websites with professional related content.

By my opinion their UI design is lacking

Trusera - Consumers for consumers

Trusera its quite new health 2.0 start- up.

The Seattle-based Health/medical 2.0 company released only last december their beta version.

What is it ? :

A free invitation-only network of people who care about health.
Its about connecting consumers who experienced variety of medical conditions and treatments with others who are seeking for advices or looking to meet others which had "been there".

Their firs role is to gather a critical mass of experienced pepole who will be the central core of the platform. They shall have to attract all the others.
Its like trying to capture the "middle zone" . Not only consumers to consumers or professional to consumers but unprofessional people who collected enough reliable information through and by their own life experience.
Trusera.com is privately held with funding by a team of angel investors with experience from Amazon.com, Expedia, WashingtonMutual etc.
Until now they raised nearly 2M$ .

Thestatus- the personal web page for hospitalized patients

Hello

I saw this application and thought it's worth mention it for you.
Thestatus - gives you the option to create a personal web page while you are hospitalized. It can be manage by one of family member.
Some features included :
1. personal detailes
2. professional detailes regarding your illness
3. messages - from guests, your family or from yourself to your guests.
4. updates concerning your medical status.
Here, a sample page.
Conclusion :
Worth trying it.
lack of advanced user interface.
It will be wise to add instant messaging tools and makes connection to twitter application.

Our patients Myspace- Dailystrength

As one of our duties is to support our patient along their life with their illness, here: http://dailystrength.org.
His name explain everything.It hosts communities around particular diseases, and allows people to connect, message and share experiences within 600 online communities.
Is it going to be the health consumers Myspace?. Even if not, its important service.
BTW: it's not the only one is this niche.

weight loss web 2.0 tool

here
Another example of web 2.0 tool that can help your patients.
If one of your patient is looking for your professional treatment and advice , you can combine it and add to the treatment a web 2.0 platform like http://www.extrapounds.com.It's not the only one in is niche but is quite nice , friendly and worth trying.
It's a weight loss community with others applications like bodey measurements tracker and weight loss tracker also. You can make a continuity food and diet observation .
Try and write comments for us.