Over a span of several years, I’ve been blogging about almost everything related to my practice. That same time I “grew up” from a “grunt” blogger to one that takes positive insights to every bit of challenge hurled in front of me, medicine related or otherwise. This blog also “expanded”  its horizons from just relating personal experiences to some “serious” stuff about healthcare.

the current blog theme

Physicians still has the “authority” over medicine, but not without silent criticisms from “internet powered” patient. Patients gets medical information, validated or not, from the internet. That was years ago. The broad definition of internet sources it seems, is not limited to peer reviewed journals and strict professional medical organizations’ websites. Social media entered the picture and  is becoming a source of medical information. In fact social media, has been pushing boundaries and game changing healthcare as we knew. Healthcare couldn’t just shrug off social media nowadays.

Thus most of the time, physicians just parry questions left and right, answering “yes that’s right mister” or “No mam that study you read on the internet is not accurate!”. In fact, physicians sometimes get into embarrassing moments when patients volunteer information from the internet none of us came across that data (because maybe, we are busy with doctoring and everything else other than googling). (Here’s one good guide on how to deal with the patients who surf the net made by Dr. Iris Tan)

Healthcare it seems, is playing catch up on social media.

In this set up, I began to rethink about this blog evolving role in social-media-healthcare-catch-up sort of thing. Five years into blogging, there still not that many physicians grabbing the opportunity of using social media as a healthcare tool. In the business sense, a social media strategy to aid in his practice or just healthcare for that matter.

I thought of providing information about orthopedics or general medicine. But over the years providing such scientific informations per se are better done  by sites related to professional medical organizations and peer reviewed journals.

Which brings me to what I’m probably changing a bit about the tone of this blog.

I like writing on a more personal level, presenting an information and then nitpick an idea to go deeper into how I’d be able understand it. It’s more of summarizing, injecting personal thoughts and giving a whole lot of personal touch to understanding medical information. There’s more of trying to reconcile experiences with whats the journals says. Most of the time, it’s the “bone of contention” or the question/ dilemma that needs to be decided or answered  which keeps the information interesting and the interaction lively.

Thus, I’m gunning for a more personal, meaty content, on health care.

Note the blog theme is changing. Minimalist. More on content. And the title.,

My bone of contention…

I’m publishing this blog post a bit late. I can’t stand not writing about a blogger friend and defy her preference for “slipping away” silently.

Goodbye blogger friend. We will miss your blog posts, your writing and your knack for demystifying music to us, cold souls.

Goodbye fellow bone doc. Even if we rarely had a chance of actually doing bone surgeries together, we shared the same tenacity for fishing out the medical absurdities of our work.

I hope you did take the “wave and smile” I made during your induction to the fellows fold a warm welcome and congratulations.

Not a farewell, I hope.

By for now blogger, fellow bone doc.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Remo Aguilar

Yesterday I started a survey  asking healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses and allied medical professionals) if their healthcare institutions have a social media usage policy. (If you’re a healthcare professional you can still vote and comment in that post. ) Now its time to ask our clients, the Filipino patients:

Do you want your healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses allied medical personnel) and /or healthcare institutions (hospitals, clinics) to have a social media policy?

Philippines, the social media capital of the world!

This question is important and highly relevant. Why? Philippines is the social media capital of the world and there’s a surge of content sharing in these social networks. That is according to this report by the Global Web Index. Sharing health related patient information on these social networks threads dangerously on an already greyed (if there is/was) privacy and health information laws here in the Philippines. Without enforced laws or governing policies, a breach of patient’s privacy and confidential information have consequences that pose a threat to the mutual trust between patients and his/her physician or that of his/her healthcare institution.

The other reason is about enhancing patient communication. Social media is  an alternative, revolutionary way in which healthcare professionals or institutions communicate or interact with their patients.  Social media (though research data is lacking on this) could be  a venue for positive reinforcement of actual clinical consults and follow ups. A recent survey also shows that social media is now gaining ground as source of health information in first world countries. The absence of policies regarding its use defaults the interaction to a “free for all” and often negatively affect the overall outcome of these patient-physician  or patient-healthcare institution interactions.

So again, I’m asking you, Filipino patients, or anyone since obviously you are the ones will be ultimately affected by this policy.

Do you want your healthcare professional or healthcare institution to have a social media policy use?

Please vote below and comment (in the comments section) if you wanted to explain your answer. Should you want to maintain anonymous, just email me privately thru this contact page and I will assure you of your confidentiality)

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Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Remo Aguilar

Philippines ranks first in the global social media penetration according to a February 2011 market survey by Global Web Index. In this survey, it was also pointed out that asian countries do more ‘content sharing‘ than sharing messages as in other countries (UK, Canada). What is the implication of this survey results to Philippines’ healthcare system?

Philippines tops social media usage globally! (Infograph from Mashable by Global Web Index)

Possibly huge. Possibly positive. Sometimes, menacingly negative.

For Filipino patients, the surge of content sharing and social media usage puts a huge stress on prevailing (or lack of) Philippine laws that govern patient information confidentiality. The lackluster enforcement of such laws, if there is/was, is/are sporadic. One does not need to look further. The gruesome photos (trauma, surgical, etc) that somehow lands on your Facebook wall is a testament to this breach. It’s also not uncommon to read patient blogs, tweets and comments on Facebook that cast doubts on healthcare professionals or or institution’s credibility. Some even lead to sensational malpractice suits.

To healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, allied medical professionals) the responsibility is even greater. In first world countries, there are stringent rules of engagement for healthcare professionals on how they relate to their patients and to healthcare institutions on social media. Such policy govern healthcare professionals employed in healthcare institutions and who’s social media usage directly or indirectly affects that of his or her employer. In the Philippines , while majority of healthcare professional and institutions  does not seem bothered  yet,  catastrophic consequences still hangs in the future . How many times have you encountered photos on Facebook that are in one way or another health patient or institution related? Too often?

For healthcare institutions, this surge is promisingly positive should they take advantage of social media usage. This study by the Global Web Index for example is a market survey for business entrepreneurs. This could be an area for healthcare institution to reach out, communicate to their clients and improve the institutions online visibility. This is what the Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai hospital for example is doing crafting their own social media policy to enhance patient – institution communication.

Filipinos spend one fourth of a day on social media network.(Thanks to Dr. Iris Isip Tan for posting this infograph)

But without a policy to govern such social media practices by their employees (internal) or their patients (external), the healthcare institution risks running into so many potential negative social media issues aside from economic ones (employees using social media at the workplace).

As an afterthought, let me share another info graphic about use of health related IT technologies in US (source). Take a look at the social media usage. To think, Philippines is ‘ahead” of US in terms of per population social media usage. I don’t know if Philippines has have similar figures in terms of health related social IT. This should be an interesting research for healthcare markets.

Health related IT technologies usage in US (source)

So to answer this post title-question, I’m making an informal, non scientific survey here. This is open to all medical and allied medical professionals. Please answer the poll and please comment below if you need to explain your answer.

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Thank you for voting!

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Remo Aguilar

The short answer is yes, they  should. Consider this:

The Philippines, a developing country, is the social networking capital of the world. It tops the list of nations who uses Facebook. Or before Facebook, Philippines also topped the list of nations using Friendster.

1. Philippines
> Facebook: 93.9%
> Twitter: 16.1%
> LinkedIn: 1.9%
> Internet Use: 29.7%

Social network penetration is incredibly high in the Philippines, reaching 95%.  Facebook is the country’s most popular website, more so than Google, and has a penetration rate of 93.9%.  The Philippines is also the eighth most popular country for Twitter use on a global scale, with a penetration rate of 16.1%.  The popularity of photo sharing has increased by 46% in the country in one year, largely due to Facebook.  Social networking is so popular among Filipinos, the country has been nicknamed “The Social Networking Capital of the World.” -The Ten Nations Where Facebook Rules the Internet | 24/7 Wall Street

Infographic from this site ( http://internacionalmagazine.com/2011/03/comscore-has-crowned-philippines-as-the-world%E2%80%99s-heaviest-users-of-facebook/1490/

Also, most of the other nations in the list are developing countries in Latin America and South East Asia. These  social media platforms are good mediums for health education and should augment health drives using traditional media.

Medical information through the internet is readily available and fast. Most of informed patients nowadays get their medical information through the internet. Also, most of this informed patients (or their relatives, guardians etc.) also maintain a social media presence in facebook, twitter or in a blog. The multiplier effect of posting it on your facebook profile is just way beyond that can be achieve by traditonal means, like books.

Interactivity is fast, patient questions can be addressed rapidly and doubts can be clarified and , it is a good jumping off for a “real” clinic consult. The potential for  improving physician-patient relationship and interactions using social media is enormous. Not taking on this opportunity simply deprive the already shortchanged health education in developing nations.

Is this enough reason for you to act now and have your social media presence be felt?

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Remo Aguilar