The key for both patients and providers is building a community of shared information that can drive improved outcomes through group learning.

FORBES: The 7 Habits of Highly Patient Centric Providers

"The work I do focuses on helping organisations to use social technologies to connect the people in their organisations, " says Ms Conner, a partner in the Altimeter Group and author of the forthcoming book The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media.

BBC: The unintended consequences of Facebook