Network Effect

As I was reading about network effect it struck my mind to relate it back to the article Just In Time regarding technology in hospitals. In relation the the My Health At Vanderbilt accounts the principle of network effect holds to be very true. For this example the more people who have these accounts, the more beneficial it is to other patients that have them. More doctors will be proned to using these accounts for information and communication if they know that large numbers of their patients have them.

At times these accounts can somewhat seem like a pain because they are to much detail and to much work for doctors, but if they know that these accounts are proven beneficial they may choose to use them.

Just as with all technology, the more the better. If more people have computers then the more valuable computers are to everyone else as well. You can't keep up with old friends on Facebook if they don't even own a computer.

Network effect to me is a great system. I think this system can be put in place for all sorts of situations and products and that it is a good thing when a product gets to be better when more of it is owned by others.