Increasing numbers of the public are becoming digitally connected. In particular, younger “born digital” generations now use the World Wide Web as their primary source of information alongside conventional media such as television and print. Little is known as to whether health organisations are using new media channels such as Facebook and Twitter to engage with the public and patients. This quantitative analysis investigates the online identities of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the NHS in England to inspect their usage of social utilities. Results showed that a total of 61 organisations (40.13%) use at least one utility with the most popular being Twitter (n=30) and Bebo the least (n=1). However, organisations appear to be failing to take advantage of the interactive nature of social utilities instead using them as unidirectional information “push” channels. The ways in which health organisations could use social utilities for engagement is underexplored and so we must look to other research disciplines for best practice and evidence.

The technological developments described in this book demonstrate how all in vitro tests can potentially be delivered at the point of care in the future. The challenge for developer, manufacturer, purchaser, provider and user is to determine which tests will offer the greatest benefit and address the challenges of healthcare delivery. As a disruptive technology, experience indicates that the biggest challenge for all stakeholders will be transforming the practice of healthcare in order to generate these benefits. This is a ‘must read’ book for all developers and manufacturers of POCT technology, those who develop healthcare policy, those who purchase or commission healthcare services, and those who will use this innovative technology.

It’s difficult to contest that Twitter is everywhere. Even with the release of a new profile design, over 37% of activity is created via a cell phone. More and more people are connecting via official and unofficial Twitter cell phone applications such as Seesmic, TweetDeck, and Twitdroid. Not surprisingly, the influx of “app stores” has seen a surge in developers creating free and paid applications for Twitter on all mobile platforms. This is both a threat, and an opportunity. For cell phone developers, perhaps the most exciting platform is Android due to its comprehensive documentation, openness, and ever-increasing market share.