Think back to the days before email and the Internet. How did you get information that helped you in your job? Newspapers, magazines -- books, perhaps? Handouts from conferences?
Now that we can access good content online in multiple formats, it's a wonder any of us gets anything done in a day. But, if you focus your daily or weekly efforts on only a few things, it's manageable. So, here are my recommendations of where to find good content on the web about healthcare design and industry trends:
1. Magazines & Reports
Contrary to popular belief, the print magazine is not dead, nor will it be anytime soon. And most print magazines also have online versions and some also have daily or weekly enewsletters. My top picks: Healthcare Design, Health Facilities Management, Modern Healthcare, and Hospitals & Health Networks. The McMorrow Healthcare Facilities Management Report (online only).
2. Blogs
Blogs give you more opinionated, focused content on specific, timely issues. Choose ones that are updated at least once a week. If you subscribe to a blog, whenever there's a new post, you'll be notified by email. Or, you can use tools like Google Reader to follow multiple blogs. My top picks: Healthcare Design (multiple bloggers), HKS Smart Healthcare, HHN Daily, Changing Aging, Susan Mazer, Lean Blog, Nurture.
(For marketers, I suggest Seth Godin, Social Media Examiner, and ClickZ.)
3. LinkedIn Groups
If you think LinkedIn is only for people looking for jobs, think again. With more than 200 million members, LinkedIn is one of the primary networking and information exchange tools in the social media sphere. There are thousands of special interest groups on LI, but a good strategy is to actively follow and participate in 3-4 groups. My top picks: The Healthcare Design Connection, Healthcare Innovation by Design, Architecture and Healthcare, Hospital Acoustics, Beryl Institute.
4. Webinars
Most webinars are free or have nominal fees, and are a good source for more interactive information, as well as continuing education credits. Online learning is here to stay and will only increase. My top picks: Healthcare Design, Center for Health Design, American Institute of Architects/Academy of Architecture for Health.
Have a favorite content source that I've left off the list? Post a comment below or send me an email.
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