We talk much, encourage and glorify “leaders” in any space. But the real power is in “fast followers.” It’s a business strategy concept well known to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, but not a familiar concept to others.

This narrated video below of the shirtless dancing guy is well worth your 3 minutes.

And what does it have to do with e-patients and how to connect with them? Everything.

• Pharma leaders in social media have done their work (Novo Nordisk on Twitter, McNeil on Facebook, J&J on YouTube) now is the time for the fast followers
• Hospital leaders in social media have paved the way (about 500 of them), but now is the time for the other 5500 to join in
• The CDC has shown massive leadership in best ways to connect with e-patients, public health is too important to be seen as laggards
• Physician and nurse leaders have emerged, bringing back housecalls, doing consults via web video, and embracing PHR/EMR, but they still stand so alone

And when it comes to e-patients, I’ve never seen e-Patient Dave deBronkart dance, but I have seen him go from relative obscurity to Time magazine in 18 months.

Now is the time for all of us to get up and dance.

What do you think? Will you join us?