What is WikiHealthCare?

You have probably heard of Wikipedia -- the free online encyclopedia. In fact, if you use the Internet, you have probably even been to Wikipedia and read an article or two (Wikipedia articles often rise to the top of Google searches, due to the popularity of the site). On the surface, a Wikipedia article looks like any other web page, but the site is unique in that anyone who visits the site can create an article or edit existing articles. Take a moment to think about that. Anyone can create or edit content. It is a revolutionary idea -- harnessing the special interests and expertise of millions of Internet users across the globe. The concept is rapidly becoming more mainstream, and is also known as mass collaboration, peer collaboration, Web 2.0 and other names.

WikiHealthCare is a Joint Commission-sponsored wiki application. Unlike Wikipedia (which is an encyclopedia), the purpose of WikiHealthCare is to foster collaboration among tens of thousands and in due course of time millions of health care professionals. While this has been a dream of many health care quality pioneers, it has only recently become technically possible.

The ability for users to edit web pages is enabled by a special software/programming language called Wiki (note that clicking on the word "wiki" will take you to the Wikipedia article on Wikis). Wikipedia is enabled by this type of software, as is WikiHealthCare (including the page you are reading right now). In fact, if you click on the pencil icon at the top of this article, you'll get a "behind the scenes" look at this page (Note: only registered users will see the pencil icon, since anonymous users cannot edit the site). This is the edit view, and you can edit the words you are reading right now. Go ahead. Take a look. When you are finished, click the "Done" or "Cancel" button to return the normal web page view. If you were bold enough to make a change to the text, you'll notice that modification now appears on the web page you are reading! Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see your name, the date/time and the updated page revision number.

To see this process in action, visit the Performance Improvement section of the website. Users can search for performance improvement solutions and share their own insights and experiences. It is important to note that WikiHealthCare is not intended to be a repository for all things related to a performance improvement topic. It is, however, intended to serve as a network, linking individual users to each other and to resources that can help them meet their needs. The Performance Improvement pages will link users to research (evidence-based practices, resource materials, and links to a wealth of resources) on specific topics, as well as real-world experiences posted directly by other health care professionals.

The site was started in June 2007, so don't be disappointed if you can't find what you're looking for yet. Just suggest a new topic, and we'll add it to the site.

Okay, so now that you have a basic understanding of the purpose of WikiHealthCare, you are probably asking "How do I use WikiHealthCare?" Click on the link to learn more.