Web 2.0 for the medical device industry. Parts 1-3

Web 2.0 for the medical device industry

Web 2.0 for the medical device industry. Parts 1-3

This article will be introducing web 2.0 technology as it relates to marketing strategies and the medical device industry.

There are several items that will be addressed in this series of articles;

1. What is web 2.0 technology?

2. How is it used?

3. Who are the regulators watching the use of the technology?

4. How can medical devices manufacturers market their products using web 2.0

technology while staying within the confines of the FDA?

5. How do you get started using web 2.0 technology?

6. How to track and measure the effectiveness?

Part 1. What are web 2.0 technology, social media and new media?

These three terms have been thrown around and over used by marketers who don't understand their meaning and completely misunderstood by everyone who has been told they MUST be involved in them.

Each term has a very valuable place in marketing strategy but not all products or services are appropriate. Just like TV is not the answer for every product and service, neither is social media or new media.

The first step is understanding what each term means and how it varies from the others.

The simple definition for web 2.0 is: websites that have been specially programmed to allow for conversations and feedback between users of the same websites and community groups.

The term "Web 2.0" was coined by Darcy DiNucci in 1999, in her article "Fragmented Future."

"The Web we know now, which loads into a browser window in essentially static screenfuls, is only an embryo of the Web to come. The first glimmerings of Web 2.0 are beginning to appear, and we are just starting to see how that embryo might develop. ... The Web will be understood not as screenfuls of text and graphics but as a transport mechanism, the ether through which interactivity happens. It will [...] appear on your computer screen, [...] on your TV set [...] your car dashboard [...] your cell phone [...] hand-held game machines [...] and maybe even your microwave."

Wikipedia's definition:

"Web 2.0" refers to a second generation of web development and design, that facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and applications such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashup and folksonomies.

As you will notice in the Wiki definition, there are a few concepts that will not be discussed in detail in these articles; video-sharing, wikis, mashup and folksonomies.

Social media is part of the web 2.0 technology capability. The way websites are programmed, they allow for users to share photos, give updates on "what they are doing" as well as video sharing.

The clearest and best definition of social media I have found was written by Joseph Thornley.

Social media are online communications in which individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. To do this, they use social software that enables anyone without knowledge of coding, to post, comment on, share or mash up content and to form communities around shared interests.

The term "new media" has been overly used and widely misunderstood and includes technologies such as PDA's CDs, DVDs and video games. Webopedia.com defines it as:

A generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. The term is in relation to "old" media forms, such as print newspapers and magazines, that are static representations of text and graphics.

So, next time you talk about adding web 2.0, social media or new media to your marketing strategy, ask yourself, is it necessary for what we really want to accomplish? If you are not sure what you should be using, how they work or if you are permitted to use them according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Devices and Radiological Health Organization (CDRH) guidelines, talk to a professional.

Part 2: How is web 2.0 technology used?

Now that we know the definition of web 2.0, where the term came from, we will talk about what tactics are under the umbrella of web 2.0 technology and how they relate to the medical device industry.

It is important to know what type of information dissemination should be part of your overall marketing strategy and how web 2.0 can be implemented as part of that strategy.

How the web 2.0 technology is used for healthcare marketing and medical device specifically is an interesting subject. The regulations and restrictions are set to protect consumers and stop snake oil salesmen from deceiving the American public.

The rules are strict, when established. The FDA has yet to develop a set of guidelines for medical device marketers to follow. The FDA has been active in the pharma sector and has levied fines for misuse. In the mean time, it is prudent to work closely with your marketing team and legal regulatory team to establish rules and guides for your web 2.0 efforts.

Blogs

Blogs can be useful during the development of a new product with updates and information of the development phase and progress. When writing blogs for medical device it is important to know what the FDA regulations are for marketing. Providing information about a products benefits or making statements before it has been through the proper FDA channels will land you in a heap of trouble.

A summary of the definition of a blog from Wikipedia.org is:

A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries.

The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

Asking for feedback on your posts can be a valuable tool but also tricky to manage. The FDA hasn't provided exact restrictions for medical device marketing about the regulations on who is responsible for information posted on a blog. Pharma companies have been diving into web 2.0 and the lessons learned should be taken into account for medical device.

Blogs should be optimized to ensure they are crawled by the search engines for rankings as well as tracked for unique visits for ROI measurement. While it is difficult to quantify an ROI on this type of marketing strategy you can get a clear sense of who is looking at your product updates as well as how often. Requiring visitors to register will also allow you to collect data and can allow for one on one contact with prospective buyers or even investors.

Community Groups

These groups are usually very social in nature and gather via the Internet to share ideas and information ranging from business to personal and include special interest groups dealing with topics like, religion, health and politics.

Medical device manufacturers can also find a place in these communities or create their own. Depending on the marketing strategy these types of groups can target business, consumers or even the special interest groups depending on the product going to market.

Jeremiah Owyang of Silicon Valley writes in his blog Online Community Best Practices:

Communities Are A Powerful Tool, As Long As You Put Members' Needs First "An online community is an interactive group of people joined together by a common interest. It's also one of the most powerful tools a marketer can deploy for customer retention, word of mouth, and customer insight. To host a successful community, think of it as you would product development: Start by focusing on objectives, chart a road map, assemble the right team, and plan to be flexible. Then build your success by launching the community with the backing of your most enthusiastic customers and staying engaged as the community grows. Above all, remember that control is in the hands of the members, so put their needs first, build trust, and become an active part of the community."

Business community groups have become a very popular form of networking for the busy professional who finds less time in their schedule for the face to face lunch and cocktail networking.

Websites like LinkedIn allow for businesses to network as well as individuals. This particular community has sub-communities called networking groups where you can target your interests and be part of a group that is even more specialized. Even the FDA has a company page with connections to their staff.

Consumer community groups range from fans of products like Pepsi World to AngiesList.com where consumers can review companies and post grievances online. Consumer community groups are sometimes set up by the corporation or by consumers on sites like wetpaint.com.

Special interest community groups created on-line include, health, politics, religion and more. These groups are similar to a consumer group but are brought together for personal reasons and tend to be like-minded individuals looking for news, information, support groups, events, and relationships.

Micro-Blogs

Micro-blogging has become a major topic in marketing communications over the past 6 months or so. One major reason, Twitter, a micro-blogging website designed to tell people "what you are doing" in 140 characters or less.

Twitter came about from the application on Yahoo! Mail, status update, to tell people who also have Yahoo! Mail accounts, what you are doing. In an interview with the LA Times Jack Dorsey explains why he created twitter and the history behind it. Other websites have included the mirco-blog concept into their programming.

Twitter is great for PR needs in medical device marketing. While there are multiple websites that post news releases, having a Twitter account and asking your followers to re-tweet (RT) your posts helps with SEO and gives your followers up to date information that they want.

Facebook and MySpace

Facebook and MySpace are a different type of community from the other three groups mentioned above. These communities are typically very personal in nature. There are some companies that have jumped into the water to test out how having a fan page or group of people who love their product will work. This type of word-of-mouth marketing for some companies will be beneficial.

Medical device companies need to look at their individual product carefully before deciding to go this route. Unless the product has a wide target market these social media sites will not pull the quality traffic needed.

Part 3. Who are the regulators watching the use of the technology

"The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves."

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the sections under the HHS. Other sections include the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Indian Health Service, National Institutes of Health and others.

Within the FDA there are seven centers and offices that are managed under the FDA commissioner. One of the centers is the Center for Devices & Radiological Health (CDRH). The CDRH breaks down even further into another six offices that are "responsible for regulating firms who manufacture, re-package, re-label, and/or import medical devices sold in the United States. In addition, CDRH regulates radiation-emitting electronic products (medical and non-medical) such as lasers, x-ray systems, ultrasound equipment, microwave ovens and color televisions," according to the FDA website.

This is where it becomes a little more complicated. Depending on the type of device one of the 6 offices will be responsible for the monitoring of regulation compliance.

There are standard marketing rules for medical devices that manufacturers must meet in order to be compliant with the FDA. Each of the following requirements are listed on the FDA website under Overview of Device Regulation.

* Establishment registration,

* Medical Device Listing,

* Premarket Notification 510(k), unless exempt, or Premarket Approval (PMA),

* Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) for clinical studies

* Quality System (QS) regulation,

* Labeling requirements, and

* Medical Device Reporting (MDR)

Next time you talk about adding web 2.0, social media or new media to your marketing strategy, ask yourself, is it necessary for what we really want to accomplish? If you are not sure what you should be using, how they work or if you are permitted to use them according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Devices and Radiological Health Organization (CDRH) guidelines, talk to a professional.

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