Tips for Participating in HIMSS’ Discussions Forum on LinkedIn

Since 2008, the HIMSS Group on LinkedIn has grown vastly to over 33,000 members. In this relatively short period of time, the LinkedIn group interface has evolved quite a bit too. LinkedIn rolled out major updates to groups in June 2010. These updates have had a significant impact—both positive and negative—on how members are engaging, sharing and connecting. Other than the updates to the look and feel of groups, the biggest change was the merge of the Discussions and News Forums. This integration has made it more difficult for members to find new discussions to participate in. Members now have to comb through dozens of shared links, articles and blogs posts to find new discussions.

As the owner of the HIMSS Group, I actively participate in and moderate discussions. I’ve seen some quality discussions grow to over 350 comments (How does Healthcare IT feel about the future sharing of data now stored in EMR silos?, What would you like to see happen in 2010 to help move forward the adoption of electronic medical records? and Top Ten reasons why EMR/EHR implementations are failing.), as well as witnessed some of the new hindrances firsthand. That’s why HIMSS recently updated the group’s Rules of Engagement. The main objectives of the Rules of Engagement are to maximize the quality of the group content, make sure discussions are used for discussions only, better organize the flow of information and ensure the safety of members.

For those of you who are not familiar, the goal of the HIMSS Group is to lead change in the health IT and management systems field through knowledge sharing and communications among professionals. This means all discussions and linked resources should clearly relate to the health IT and management systems field, and advance the professional development of health IT professionals. Additionally, the purpose of discussions is to invite member response and participation. Therefore, when posting discussions or sharing links, pose questions that garner quality conversations. Linked resources should also complement but not substitute discussion items.

Although, HIMSS staff moderates the group, members are encouraged to help the moderators in this process by reading and following the Rules of Engagement, flagging inappropriate content and informing a moderator, like me or Cesar Torres, of spam and inappropriate content.

Now that you are familiar with some of the rules, let me draw your attention to some special features that can help you better navigate the group:

• Discussions Carousel: This rectangular box at the top of the Discussion forum automatically scrolls through the latest discussions.
• All New Discussions Button: Located above the right-hand corner of the Discussions Carousel, this link features all new discussions in chronological order.
• Manager’s Choice: These valuable discussions are highlighted by the group owner so members can easily participate in quality discussions and read important group announcements.
• Liking and Commenting: The discussions with the most comments and likes are featured more prominently—thereby showcasing the most relevant content to members.
• Following Discussions: Following a specific discussion allows members to be notified via e-mail when new comments are made in the discussion. Members automatically follow discussions they start or comment on.
• Following Members: Members are automatically set to follow any of their connections’ contributions within groups they share. Members may also follow additional members who are not first-degree connections by clicking the Follow link under their profile picture.

I hope you find this information useful. Please share comments regarding the HIMSS Group on LinkedIn below. What do you like? What do you dislike? What would enhance your experience or make the group of more value?