The Confluence of Social Media and Medicine

The Confluence of Social Media and Medicine

Introduction

The world has progressed beyond the marvels of the cordless telephone and pager, and we now enjoy instant communication and feedback via the Internet, smart phones, and other wireless technologies. The growing user participation in these technologies has led to an explosion in Web-based user-generated content that has been termed the social media revolution. Social media websites such as Face book, MySpace, and Twitter allow individuals to share information about any topic at any time, and wikis and blogs promote ongoing information sharing within interested user communities. Web cameras and audio/ video computer applications, such as Skype; enable face-to-face communication via the Internet. Video websites such as YouTube provide a platform where individuals can share their digital videos instantly with anyone in the world. The proliferation in the number of social media websites and users is viewed by many as a boon to society. For others, the ease of information access and sharing is a concern (Kaplan.et.al, 2010).

Modern technology has ushered in an age of instant information and gratification, and profound effects have been seen health care and medicine. Thus doctors and radiologic technologists should be aware of the risks associated with social media use before deciding whether to incorporate social media into classroom curricula or work environments (Fox.et.al, 2009).

Discussion

Patient Care

The benefits of social media are seen not only in business practice, but also in health care business. Hello Health offers a unique spin on the traditional practice of medicine. Patients can follow the activities of the organization's physicians via Face book. E-mail, instant messaging, and video chat are available on the company's website, where patients can participate in a “cyber visit,” which may be free or cost up to $100 . Hello Health plans to share the information platform with physicians across the country for a modest percentage of their fees. Hello Health is not an anomaly in health care. Patients and physicians across the country use social media websites to communicate about diseases and treatments. My Health Manager allows patients to read physician-authored blogs — a digital diary used for sharing news, commentary, and about their experiences. Sermo is an online physician community where doctors can share insights about medicine and specific cases or diseases (Poole, 2010).

Health Care Communities

Radiologic technologists, nurses, and other health care professionals use Twitter to connect to their professional ...