Facebook looking to healthcare to drive user engagement

Facebook may be eyeing the health care segment, confirming what many had been expecting since the company bought the fitness-tracking app Moves earlier this year, Reuters reported.

The plans, that are under development would  see the company establish online support groups to connect people with similar lifestyles and ailments, it aaded. The social network would also develop a series of apps, some of which would presumably monitor users' workout and other aspects of their health.

Online support groups for diseases like Parkinson's and celiac have been around almost since the internet arrived on the scene and  Facebook, too, hosted all manner of user-created communities to address health care issues. However, Facebook might be betting that by creating its own official versions, the company could keep users more engaged with the site and possibly even improve health outcomes in a small but measurable way.

The healthcare industry is estimated to be worth $3 trillion, it was therefore not surprising that Facebook hoped to capture a slice of that market.

Health records are so valuable that security experts say hackers would pay up to 20 times more for a person's medical record on the black market than for a stolen credit card number.

The news comes as at a time when other companies like Google and Apple were also testing the same waters. Apple recently launched its Health app, a hub for iOS 8 users to keep track of fitness goals and health-related information, and Google had been working on Google Fit for

Android that tracked similar data across various platforms and wearables.

According to commentators, though it might seem strange for the social network to look towards health and wellness, its executives believe giving people a way to talk more about healthcare could increase engagement on the site too, the report said.

The social network apparently noticed an uptick in the number people suffering from chronic ailments seeking advice and a platform to share their experiences.

Facebook has been meeting with "medical industry experts and entrepreneurs" and is setting up a division to test health-related apps and programs, even though its in the early stages of  working its foray into the sector. Therefore it is not certain when or what kind of a healthcare app it eventually conceives.