Emerging Technologies: Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 has brought a change to how we communicate and disseminate information with the use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, instant messaging and blogging. This technology is beginning to be used in the health field for public awareness campaigns, emergency health alerts, medical education and remote healthcare services. Australian Health Information Managers will be called upon to reconcile their organisations' policies and procedures regarding the use of Web 2.0 technologies within the existing legal framework of privacy, confidentiality and consent. This article explores various applications of Web 2.0, their benefits and some of their potential legal and ethical implications when implemented in Australia.