ecancerHub, a new, open-access, integrated approach to providing the whole cancer community with high quality and trustworthy information has launched. Integrating the best of social media technology into one unique platform, ecancerHub enables patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers to interact, connect and share. They have the opportunity to discuss, debate, generate new ideas, gather opinions and build knowledge not only within their own groups, but also cross-community.

ecancerHub is the product of the two-year project Eurocancercoms, a European Commission FP7 funded initiative. The Eurocancercoms project¹, a partnership of Europe's major cancer organisations led by the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, looked at issues and bottlenecks surrounding the communication and dissemination of cancer information across Europe, with the aim of establishing a single, efficient network for cancer communication in Europe.

"We are excited and gratified with the response of the partners in the project, who recognised the need for a communication solution for all those involved in cancer across Europe", says Professor Gordon McVie, Managing Editor of ecancermedicalscience and one of the leaders of the project. "We are particularly pleased with the proposed solution, which we have launched. ecancerHub fulfils our vision of a 'one-stop-shop' and we strongly urge you to use and help develop it further."

Research conducted as part of the project highlighted the need for a trusted online common platform for healthcare professionals, patients, researchers and policymakers to be able to communicate, network, share and produce knowledge². ecancerHub provides a unique solution to fill this gap.

The cancer community now has a unique way of using social media to the benefit and betterment of oncology at their fingertips

Professor Richard Sullivan of the European Cancer Research Managers Forum and a leader of the project says "We have this excellent platform and now we want the cancer community to get involved, upload content and make this a buzzing hub of ideas and information".

With the help of the community, ecancerHub beta will develop into a fully functioning and thriving platform.

Source: ecancer

References:

1. For information on Eurocancercoms, visit the project’s website: http://www.eurocancercoms.eu

2. R. Warden, The Internet and science communication: blurring the boundaries, ecancermedicalscience, 4, 2010, DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2010.203