Abstract:
The invention relates to systems and methods for behavioral modification of users in an online community where users store or share data to help one another reach informed decisions. One aspect of the invention provides a method for encouraging active participation in an online community. The method includes: receiving information from a first user regarding a topic, receiving a request from a second user for additional information desired from the first user, and sending a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information. Another aspect of the invention provides a computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer to perform a method for encouraging active participation in an online community. The method includes: receiving information from a first user regarding a topic; identifying additional information desired from the first user; and sending a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120 of International Application No. PCT/US10/01226, filed on Apr. 26, 2010, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/174,189, filed on Apr. 30, 2009. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to systems and methods for behavioral modification of users in an online community where users store or share data to help one another reach informed decisions. Embodiments of invention are particularly applicable to interactive forums such as message boards or other online communities. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The advent of the World Wide Web offers new opportunities for people to share information, opinions, and experiences on virtually any topic. With the support of web-based systems and methodologies, people with common goals and interests can interact and communicate instantaneously from anywhere on the globe. 
     Many web sites exist to serve a particular group of people who share common goals or attributes. Key to these activities is the sharing of data, whether quantitative or qualitative, in order to harness the wisdom of crowds to reach sound decisions. 
     Conventional interactive forums suffer from the fact that only a small subset of users contribute their data (e.g., numerical data such as salaries or qualitative data such as hotel reviews), which can potentially lead to bias and limit the ability of a user to draw valid conclusions from the shared dataset. Research suggests that participation in data-sharing platforms such as YOUTUBE®, WIKIPEDIA®, or PATIENTSLIKEME® is a more exaggerated form of the Pareto Principle, wherein 80% of data is contributed by 20% of users. This phenomenon has been referred to as “participation inequality”. Although robust statistics are not available, it has been estimated by many leaders in the field that a tiny proportion of users (approximately 1-5%) account for product reviews, article edits, blog posts, forum posts, and the like. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for encouraging of data submission in online communities. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to systems and methods for behavioral modification of users in an online community where users store or share data to help one another reach informed decisions. 
     One aspect of the invention provides a method for encouraging active participation in an online community. The method includes: receiving information from a first user regarding a topic, receiving a request from a second user for additional information desired from the first user, and sending a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information. 
     This aspect can have a variety of embodiments. The method can include receiving the additional information from the first user. The method can include updating a database with the additional information. The personalized message can include a component generated by the second user. The method can include notifying the second user when the additional information is received. The method can include prompting the second user to thank the first user. 
     The online community can be a topic-related online community. The topic can relate to health. The additional data can include at least one medical condition metric. The medical condition metric can be a quantitative representation of a medical condition. The medical condition metric can be one selected from the group consisting of: a direct measure of pathology, a user-reported measure of functional impairment, a user-reported outcome of health-related quality of life, and a user-reported progression of a medical condition. 
     The medical condition can be one selected from the group consisting of: movement disorders including parkinsonism, Huntington&#39;s chorea, and Tourette&#39;s syndrome; pain disorders including back pain; rheumatologic disorders including arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Lyme&#39;s disease, and gout; seizure disorders including epilepsy; neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, and Alzheimer&#39;s disease; pulmonary diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis; sexual disorders including erectile dysfunction and vaginismus; mood disorders including depression and anxiety; addiction including nicotine addiction and alcoholism; migraines; fibromyalgia; fatigue disorders; dementia; eating disorders; hypercholesterolemia; hyperlipidemia; hyperlipoproteinemia; hypertriglyceridemia; vaseulatitis, diabetes; obesity; gastroesophogeal reflux disorder; dyspepsia; anemia; cancer; hypertension; renal failure; lupus; and pregnancy. 
     The relevant data can include intervention data. The intervention data can include at least one selected from the group consisting of: intervention dosage, intervention frequency, intervention adherence, and perceived intervention efficacy. The invention data can be data about an intervention selected from the group consisting of: administration of a medication, administration of a remedy, administration of a nutritional supplement, administration of a vitamin, exercise, physical therapy, massage, stretching, consumption of food, rest, and sleep. The method can be a computer-implemented method. 
     The method can include providing an interface for the first user to the additional data. The method can include displaying the additional data along pre-existing data report. The method can include displaying hyperlinks to additional information about a subject of the personalized message along with the personalized message. The first user or the second user can be pre-identified. 
     The relevant data can include one or more adverse events. Adverse events can include one or more selected from the group consisting of side effects, hospitalizations, and monies paid. The relevant data includes one or more selected from the group consisting of laboratory data, general qualitative data, and diagnostic test data. 
     The method can be a computer-implemented method. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides a computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer to perform a method for encouraging active participation in an online community. The method includes: receiving information from a first user regarding a topic; identifying additional information desired from the first user; and sending a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information. 
     The computer-readable medium can be non-transitory and tangible. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides a system for encouraging active participation in an online community. The system includes: a server configured to receive information from a first user regarding a topic, identify additional information desired from the first user, and send a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information; and a first client configured to transmit information from the first user to the server and receive a personalized message from the server. 
     This aspect can have a variety of embodiments. The system can include a second client configured to transmit a request for the additional information to the server and receive a notification that the additional information was provided by the first user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and desired objects of the present invention, reference is, made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary network topology according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a method for encouraging active participation in an online community according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  depicts an excerpt from a user profile in an online community according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  depicts an exemplary message indicating that another user requests additional information. 
         FIG. 5  depicts an acknowledgment message according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a report according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DEFINITIONS 
     The instant invention is most clearly understood with reference to the following definitions: 
     As used in the specification and claims, the singular form “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     The term “nudge” refers to a private message, email, graphic, sound file, text message (SMS), or other form of transmitted data that serves as a specific request from one peer (“peer nudger”) to another peer (“nudgee”) to share a specific piece of data in order to help the community make better decisions. 
     The term “disease” refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions. The term disease includes a variety of physical ailments including, but not limited to, neurological diseases (e.g., Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson&#39;s Disease), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), cancers (e.g., bladder cancer, blood cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and skin cancer), diabetes, digestive disorders (e.g., irritable bower syndrome, gastro esophageal reflux disease, and Crohn&#39;s Disease), cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, allergies, geriatric diseases, and autoimmune diseases (e.g., lupus). The term disease also include mental ailments including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders. 
     The term “medical condition” refers to a manifestation of a disease such as a symptom. For example, if a patient suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the patient may experience one or more medical conditions such as dysphagia (impaired swallowing). 
     The term “intervention” refers any event that has a positive, negative, or neutral effect on one or more medical conditions. The term intervention includes a variety of activities including, but not limited to, administration of a medication, administration of a remedy, administration of a nutritional supplement, administration of a vitamin, exercise, physical therapy, massage, stretching, consumption of food, rest, and sleep. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various aspects of the invention described herein provide systems and methods for behavioral modification of users in an online community. Aspects of the invention are particularly applicable to interactive forums such as message boards (also known as Internet forums, online discussion sites, bulletin boards. Aspects of the invention are also applicable to other varieties of Internet applications. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary network topology  100  for an interactive forum (e.g., a message board) is depicted. The message board is hosted on server  102 , which is in communication with clients  104   a - c  via network  106 . 
     The terms “client” and “server” are used to reflect a client-server relationship between elements  102  and  104   a - 104   c . Suitable devices for server element  102  include, but are not limited to general-purpose computers, including, but not limited to computers with higher processing power colloquially known as “servers.” Likewise, suitable devices for client elements  104   a - 104   c  include, but are not limited to general-purpose computers, including, but not limited to desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, smartphones, video game systems, digital video recorders (DVRs), and the like. 
     Network  106  can be any network capable of transmitting data between clients  104   a - 104   c  and server  102 , for example, an intranet or the Internet. 
     The server can be in communication with a database  108 . Database  108  can be operated through a database management system (DBMS). A DBMS is imposed upon the data to form a logical and structured organization of the data. A DBMS lies between the physical storage of data and the users and handles the interaction between the two. Examples of DBMSes include DB2® and INFORMIX®, both available from IBM Corp. of Armonk, N.Y.; MICROSOFT JET® and MICROSOFT SQL SERVER®, both available from the Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, Wash.; MYSQL®, available from the MySQL Ltd. Co. of Stockholm, Sweden; ORACLE® Database, available from Oracle Intl Corp of Redwood City, Calif.; and SYBASE®, available from Sybase, Inc. of Dublin, Calif. 
     Various embodiments of the invention facilitate increased participation in online communities. Online communities are manifold in the modern networked world. For example, an online community can be focused on a particular topic, such as one or more diseases. Such communities include the PATIENTSLIKEME® system, available from PatientsLikeMe, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. Other online communities can be focused on online games (e.g., WORLD OF WARCRAFT®), television shows, home improvement, cooking, and the like. 
     A powerful aspect of online communities is the ability to obtain information and/or advice from a wider variety of individuals than may exist in the user&#39;s physical network. However, research and experience suggests that this potential is not fully exploited. Accordingly, the invention provides systems and methods for encouraging the submission of user information to online communities. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a method  200  for encouraging active participation in an online community. In step S 202 , information is received from a first user. The information will often concern a particular topic. For example, in a health-related online community, the first user may create a profile indicating that he suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS) and is currently taking COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate). However, the user may initially enter incomplete information or the user&#39;s participation in the online community may wane as the user fails to provide frequent updates on his adherence to the COPAXONE® regimen and his MS symptoms. 
     In step S 204 , desired additional information is identified. This additional information is in many embodiments of particular interest and/or relevance to one or more other users of the online community. For example, the first user may be one of ten 25 year old males diagnosed with MS at age 20. As such, the first user&#39;s progression of MS and experience COPAXONE® may be particularly relevant to a second user that is 20 years old and newly diagnosed with MS. 
     Relevant additional information can be identified in several ways. In one embodiment, a data mining process or module examines existing data to determine what additional information might be of interest to the second user. For example, the system may analyze data to determine what additional information would be helpful to creating a prediction for a nudger. The system can then automatically send request on behalf of the nudger. In another embodiment, the nudger can browse and/or search data associated with other users of the online community and, upon finding other users of interest, request additional information. In a third embodiment, a hybrid approach is employed wherein data for one or more users is presented for the nudger&#39;s review. For example, the system may present profiles for 10 users having MS and similar demographic information to the nudger. The nudger can then request additional information from one or more users whose profiles were presented. 
     In step S 206 , a personalized message is sent to the first user asking the first user to provide the additional information to the online community. The personalized message can be addressed specifically to the first user, or the first user may be one of a small group of users. In some embodiments, the personalized message includes a component provided by the second user. 
     Personalized messages promote increased user submission of information. The nudgee may be more inclined to provide information due to a desire to help the specifically identified nudger. 
     The personalized message be presented in a variety of media and transmitted through a variety of means as appreciated by those of skill in the art. For example, the personalized message can include one or more text, audio, video, and/or graphics components. The personalized message can be presented to the first user upon login to the online community or transmitted to the first user by email, Short Message Service (SMS), instant messaging, telephone, postal service, and the like. In step S 208 , the additional information is received from the first user. In step S 210 , this additional information can be integrated into the online community, for example by storing the additional information in a database. The additional information is then available to other users and for processing by the online community. 
     In step S 212 , one or more other users are alerted of the submission of the additional information by the first user. This alert can be presented in a variety of media and transmitted through a variety of means as appreciated by those of skill in the art and discussed herein in the context of the personalized message in S 206 . In some embodiments, the nudger is alerted. In other embodiments, other users that may benefit from the submitted data are alerted. Users can configure alert settings to receive updates on a periodic basis. For example, a user can receive daily or weekly updates on which users posted data requested by the user and/or requested by other users, but relevant to the user. 
     In step S 214 , an acknowledgement is sent to the first user. This acknowledgment can be presented in a variety of media and transmitted through a variety of means as appreciated by those of skill in the art and discussed herein in the context of the personalized message in S 206 . In some embodiments, the acknowledgment includes a component generated by the second user. In other embodiments, the acknowledgment is automatically generated. 
     The inventions herein are further explained through the following examples, which are intended to further illustrate certain embodiments, but not to limit the invention in any way. 
     Example 1 
     Health-Related Online Community 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary embodiment of the invention is described. User “BlessedWithMS” has added data to her profile signifying that she has taken the drug PROZAC® (fluoxetine hydrochloride). However, she has neglected to enter other information such as dosage and she has not yet completed an evaluation of the drug to share how she thinks it may or may not have affected her. User “DataJunkie” logs into the online community and views BlessedWithMS&#39;s profile, an excerpt  300  of which is depicted in  FIG. 3 . BlessedWithMS&#39;s profile includes a chart  302  displaying the estimated onset  304  and diagnosis  306  of multiple sclerosis and the user&#39;s last update  308 . Horizontal bar  310  depicts BlessedWithMS&#39;s usage history for COPAXONE®. Horizontal bar  312  depicts that BlessedWithMS indicated that she is taking PROZAC®, but did not provide any further usage history. 
     DataJunkie wants to encourage BlessedWithMS to add the relevant details about PROZAC® and complete an evaluation so as to better inform his decision about whether or not he should take PROZAC® himself. DataJunkie presses the “nudge” button  314  on BlessedWithMS&#39;s profile, which prompts DataJunkie to indicate which data fields he is interested in BlessedWithMS completing and why. Once he has indicated the data he is interested in, he transmits the request (e.g., by pressing a “send” button). 
     User BlessedWithMS receives a message (e.g., a nudge) indicating that another user requests additional information from her. An exemplary message  400  is depicted in  FIG. 4 . The message  400  can include a component  402  from DataJunkie and one or more structured data-entry fields  404  that help her provide the relevant information that DataJunkie requested. 
     In  FIG. 5 , once BlessedWithMS has entered and transmitted the additional requested data, BlessedWithMS receives an acknowledgment message  500 . The acknowledgment message  500  can include a “thank you” message  502  and a report  504  demonstrating how her additional data was pooled to help other users make informed decisions. User DataJunkie is notified that his request has been fulfilled and has the option to send a thank you note. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the additional data can be incorporated with pre-existing user data to create one or more aggregate reports  600 . Report  600  can be addressed to specific topics (e.g., specific medical condition or specific remedies). Report  600  includes a description of fluoxetine (PROZAC®)  602 , a chart  604  depicting the reasons why users take fluoxetine, and a chart  606  depicting typical dosages. The report  600  also includes a link  608  for users to update their profile, a link  610  to indicate that the post was helpful, and links  612  to profiles of other users taking PROZAC®. 
     To avoid abuse or annoyance, data requests can be blocked from a named user. Additionally or alternatively, users can set preferences to receive requests only during certain time periods (e.g., amalgamating all requests into a weekly digest), limit requests to certain individuals or groups, or to block requests. Users can also be restricted to send a finite number of requests within a given time period. 
     Example 2 
     Consumer Feedback Online Community 
     In another embodiment, the invention is applied to consumer feedback online communities such as general consumer review sites (e.g., YELP®, available from Yelp! Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.; ANGIE′S LIST®, available from Brownstone Publishing, LLC of Indianapolis, Ind.; and EPINIONS®, available from Shopping.com, Inc. of San Jose, Calif.), hotel review sites (e.g., TRIPADVISOR®, available from TripAdvisor LLC of Needham, Mass.), restaurant review sites (e.g., OPENTABLE®, available from OpenTable, Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.; and ZAGAT®, available from Zagat Survey, LLC of New York, N.Y.), consumer electronics review sites (e.g., CNET®, available from CBS Interactive Inc. of New York, N.Y.), and the like. 
     Various rating scales exist to measure reviewer satisfaction with a service experience. In addition to discrete scales such as asking whether the service was great/good/fair/poor/awful, numerical scales can be used which ask the reviewer to quantify one or aspects of their service experience, for example, on a 1-10 numerical scale. Rating scales can include customer service, quality, hygiene, convenience, speed, ambience, and overall satisfaction. 
     A review for a given user can be associated with a particular time. For example, a reviewer may submit a review for a restaurant at a given time point, return to the restaurant for additional visits, and submit reviews about each subsequent visit. This allows for organization according to a timeline that can also reflect dates on which the service provider changed ownership and/or underwent refurbishment. 
     A consumer review online community can be integrated with other online communities. For example, an online review community can be integrated with a social network services such as FACEBOOK®, available from Facebook, Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif.; GATHER.COM®, available from Gather Inc. of Boston, Mass.; LINKEDIN®, available from LinkedIn Corp. of Mountain View, Calif.; PATIENTSLIKEME®, available from PatientsLikeMe, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass.; and the like. Under such an arrangement, if a first user is considering dining at a restaurant, the first user could be alerted that a second user in their network recently dined at that restaurant, but has not submitted a review. The first user can then request that the second user complete a review for the restaurant. 
     Data Verification and Enhancement 
     In another embodiment, the systems and methods disclosed herein are adapted to facilitate the verification and enhancement of data in an online community. 
     Users may from time to time enter anomalous data. For example, a first user suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can indicate that she is taking 200 mg of lithium daily. Other users reviewing her profile notice this data and send a message to the first user asking her to verify whether this data is correct. The user can then respond to confirm that the data is correct (at which point, future verification requests for this data point can be disabled) or correct the data. Such a method promotes confidence in the data and can help to identify new remedies. 
     Users can also enter data on various events (e.g., changes in medical condition). For example, a first user taking lithium for ALS may report that she has developed acne vulgaris. Another user may send a message to the first user inquiring whether the development of acne is an “adverse event” and inquire what the user believes may have caused her acne. Data from the response can be pooled to identify adverse effects caused by remedies and be particularly useful in identifying previously-unknown adverse drug-drug interactions. 
     Integration of Reward System(s) 
     The online communities described herein can be integrated with one or more reward systems to encourage increased user participation. For example, users may earn credits (also known as points, stars, and the like) for posting information, sending a request for additional information to another user, responding to a request, and the like. Various systems for awarding credits are described in publications such as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0184094. 
     Credits can be used in a variety of ways. The number of credits earned by the user can be displayed in the user&#39;s profile. The user can attain various levels reflecting the user&#39;s contribution to the online community. The credits can be redeemable for various prizes. The credits can also be used to affect the display of information in the online community. For example, postings for users with more credits may be displayed more prominently than users with fewer credits. 
     Identification of Potential Side Effects 
     Embodiments of the invention can be utilized to identify potential side effects of interventions. 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     All patents, published patent applications, and other references disclosed herein are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties by reference. 
     EQUIVALENTS 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents of the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Specifically, although this application periodically discusses the application of the invention to “diseases”, the invention is equally applicable to other medical events such as aging, fertility, and the like. Moreover, the invention is not limited to medical events and conditions, but is applicable to other topics such as athletic training, weight loss, academic performance, financial management, and the like. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.