In Maryland, a New Leader Hopes to Unite Tech Firms

A Diagnosis on Twitter

When the H1N1 virus -- or swine flu -- broke out, the National Institutes of Health started using Twitter posts to monitor the spread of the illness.

If misinformation was posted, NIH Information Specialist David Hale tried to track down the source. He also got a kick out of some of the tweets, such as one that referred to Sesame Street's Miss Piggy: "I bet this whole swine flu scare really has Kermit the Frog rethinking his relationship."

When the Food and Drug Administration issued a peanut recall, it set up a Twitter account (follow at FDCrecalls). Its following grew when the agency issued recalls for pistachios and Brussels sprouts, and it now has more than 10,000 followers, said Sanjay Koyani, head of Web communications for the FDA.

The role social media might play in health care was the subject of a series of panel discussions put together last week by Ozmosis, a social network for physicians, Clinovations, a consulting firm focused on health care, and Amplify Public Affairs.

Most of the speakers said the new tech tools are efficient ways to reach people between ages 18 and 34, since they are the most prolific social networkers.

But others pointed out that relying too much on health-care technology could leave people out. Those who need health information the most -- rural residents, seniors and low-income communities -- are the least likely to read a tweet about a virus outbreak, said Patricia Hinton Walker, a nursing professor at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda.

She pointed out that people between the ages of 35 and 58 rely more on traditional Web sites for health-related questions, and people over the age of 58 are more comfortable getting information via television and radio.

"We should be very careful about who we're trying to reach with what," she said.

Val Jones, a physician who runs Better Health, a blog network, agreed that doctors should be aware of their patients' information-gathering habits. "But they shouldn't still be relying only on mailing letters," she said.

Pocket-Size Blackboard

Blackboard, the District-based maker of software used by colleges to put coursework and lectures online for students, is going mobile. The company last week said it acquired TerriblyClever Design, a San Francisco-based mobile developer, for $3.5 million in cash.

TerriblyClever was founded by Stanford University students who created an iPhone application that lets students and alumni get information about course schedules, sports events and campus news alerts. Duke University also uses the software, and Blackboard chief executive Michael Chasen said he sees potential for high schools and community colleges now that teachers are starting to embrace cellphones in the classroom rather than banning them.

The company also said its software is now compatible with e-readers such as Amazon's Kindle, and it has partnered with NBC to bring news clips to classrooms.

Blackboard caters to an industry that has, in some ways, expanded during the recession. While state school budgets have shrunk due to drops in property taxes, community colleges and other commercial academic institutions have seen increased enrollment, Chasen said.

Kim Hart writes about Washington's technology scene every Monday. Contact her at hartk@washpost.com.