Cast & Curious

Tag: #HealthXPh

  • All Set for the 2nd #HealthXPh Philippine Healthcare Social Media Summit (#hcsmph) at the PICC

    We are doubly excited!

    Since #HealthXPh started three years ago, the co-founders have been creating venues for stakeholders to explore the use of disruptive technologies in healthcare. This is our core objective- educate health professionals and patients, let stakeholders explore disruptive technologies such as social media to better healthcare in the Philippines. #HealthXPh took advantage of social media platforms- blogs (healthxph.net), twitter (@healthXPh), Facebook, Google, G Hangouts, Linkedin, Periscope and the like, to achieve this core objective. We’ve spoke and sent influencers to local and international conferences on disruptive technologies. Our engagement strategy included consultancy to health organizations on matters of social media and other disruptive technologies. We even have provided insights on social media etiquettes for policy makers and institutions. Our conversion call to action endpoint is that all health stakeholders will ethically use beneficial disruptive technologies to improve the Philippine healthcare landscape.

    The success of the first #HealthXPh Healthcare Social Media Summit in Cebu last year was proof social media is taking Philippine healthcare in a sweep, whether stakeholders like it or not. As #HealthXPh’s maiden summit, we structured the conference as an introduction to social media health, providing inspiration, stories, education, advocacies and ethical dimensions to a burgeoning disruptive health technology. We’ve learned a lot of insights and opportunities from the first summit, heralding the uniquely workshop styled second summit this 2016.

    In this upcoming second summit in Manila on April 21, 2016, #HealthXPh will be bringing the discussion a step further into the healthcare social media landscape . “From click to brick” (this year’s summit tagline) will teach participants ethical, practical and hands on social media skills to level up their healthcare portfolio. #HealthXPh will hope to teach participants basic social media skill and align it with their healthcare goals. Again, as part of our engagement strategy/conversion/ call to action timeline, we want healthcare stakeholders to be at ease, confident and ethically guided with the use of social media to achieve healthcare goals.

    We partnered with top notch healthcare organizations, providers and stakeholders- DOST-PCHRD, Health Informatics, 101 Health Research, UP Medical Informatics Unit and Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, to host this event. We’ve prepared an A-list of speakers, pioneers in the use of social media in Philippine Health. We have pre selected summit participants, key influencers to efficiently deliver summit objectives. We hope to receive feedback and insights into the success of this summit so we can improve on our goals in the upcoming discussion platforms.

    The summit program can be accessed by downloading mobile android app, here. Here’s a preview of the summit program.

    I am inviting all healthcare stake holders- health professionals, patients, advocates, policy makers, ethicist and health disruptive tech influencers to attend this summit. We are still accepting walk ins but you will be transferred to another track if your tack of choice is already filled. So hurry!

    Summit registration is free, but you have to signup and answer questions in this link. Lastly show up early for the summit. If you received confirmation letters to attend and but will not be around before summit tracks begin, we will give the slot to the waiting list for that track.

    We will be live streaming the summit on our different social media platforms- blog, twitter, facebook, periscope and web ex. Follow summit proceedings on twitter by using hashtag #hcsmph and #healthxph with corresponding track subhashtags.  Webex, Google Youtube live,  live streaming will be provided on HealthXPh.net. The summit will be live too on Periscope.

    Disclosure: #HealthXPh is a healthcare startup co -founded three years ago that provides social media platform for discussion and exploration on the use of disruptive technologies to improve Philippine healthcare. The author co-founded #HealthXPh.

  • Social media profiles and industry guidelines for Healthcare Professionals

    (Note: This post is also published at HealthXPh.net )

    Two years ago, only a few healthcare professionals are using social media. Not so these days. The rule is , if you’re not on social media, you are the “exception”.

    The growing popularity of social media and smartphone brought innovations in healthcare. Healthcare became “social”. The classic patient- provider relationship grew into networks or communities of collaborating patients, providers and healthcare institutions. Social media provided additional tools and avenues for learning diseases, get psychosocial support or spread advocacies.

    But the ease of sharing in social media placed “privilege” healthcare information at risk of being “leaked” into public space. The ramifications of such breach in patient privacy and confidentiality is still isn’t fully understood. What is clear is it violates the patients rights and does not look very good for the healthcare provider. Thus the concern now is shifting from just “access”, to responsible use of social media.

    How do we then evaluate if any social media post violates patient privacy? How does the post breaches the confidentiality clause inherent in patient- provider relationship? In the Philippines, the lack of social media guidelines (self or institutionally driven) creates confusion. (Note: It is for this reason that #HealthXPh spearheaded and is continually advocating a crowd sourced Social Media and Medical Professionalism Manifesto. You should sign here if you support this advocacy too!)

    I once asked a provider his reaction to a negative comment  about a  seemingly “innocuous”,  run of the mill work scene (an OR picture with the patient’s belly inside the picture) he posted in his facebook timeline. His answer is classic:

    “It’s my personal account anyway. I can do whatever I want there. Besides, the privacy settings are strictly limited to my friends only. “

    There is confusion on what constitute private space on social media. Also, many believe (though I probably could not prove this now) there’s  a dichotomy between “personal” and “professional” social media profiles. There are still HCPs believing one profile does not overlap each other even though both represent only one and the same person.

    We at #HealthXPh would like to move forward the discussion of medical professionalism and social media guidelines in the Philippines. The healthcare social media manifesto is a work in progress. We are asking for your opinion. Join us this Saturday April 25, 2015 9:00 PM Manila time, as we discuss healthcare social media profiles and industry guidelines.

    • T1: Should personal social media accounts of HCPs be exempted from social media policy or guidelines?
    • T2: Who do you think should enforce healthcare social media guidelines?Government? HCP governing bodies, like PMA, PNA? Why?
    • T3: Will social media policy stifle the use of social media in healthcare? If yes, how?

  • #HealthXPh recent tweet chat just broke all its previous analytics records, again!

    Means, healthcare and patient advocates could be (twitter) rockstars too, someday.

    Here’s why:

    1. Interesting, enjoyable and humanely topic.
    Humans are social. People like to discuss interesting, enjoyable and affirmative topic. Anything related to a healthcare advocacy is inherently positive I think.  Advocacies are uniquely human activities. Right?

    2. Global, like minded but opinion diverse participants.
    Alas! I’m overwhelmed by the 77 participants! Thanks to the transcript, I have time to review the 77 thoughts thrown in the discussion. For information sponge like me, that’s just plain and simple, yebah!

    3. Probing, enthusiastic and brutally honest moderator.
    Okay, I might be exaggerating. But I simply stopped for a moment, to racked my brains for answers every time the moderator, Stef  Dela Cruz (www.stefdelacruz)  throw questions to participants. Special mention to the killer subquestions.

    4. Open mindedness that could swallow a universe of ideas.
    The exchange of ideas were passionate. I’m still amaze at how the 140 character tweets would trigger a (fast) flurry of exchanges without resulting to duels! The learnings are so vast! I’m beginning to think, social interactions online, like twitter is just an iteration of human interaction offline.

    5. Very accommodating, grateful and positively vibed tweeps participating.
    When you stumble upon like minded people on twitter, the first impression you’ll have is the politeness and courtesy extended to the newbies. As a newbie, I loved the kindness. Everybody likes positive vibes. Even the tweaked songs like “tweet, tweet, tweet, tweeeet!” by Doc Buboy is a reflection of how positivity is infective even in tweetverse!

    Even healthcare and patient advocates could be rockstars too, on twitter that is! Agree?

  • Social Media Usage Survey among Filipino Physicians

    [quote]We are the social media capital of the world. We have the fastest internet and mobile phone penetrations and yet, we don’t know what are we using social media for?[/quote]

    In the last five years, internet usage in the Philippines has grown tremendously to 531%  from a mere 2% in 2008. That figure is the highest in SouthEast Asia and one of the highest in the world. Mobile phone penetration also topped a whooping 107% in 2012. The most recent survey by GlobalWebIndex also found  the Philippines to lead the world in social media engagement.  Facebook remains the social media platform of choice for Filipinos with 92.2% penetration, but Twitter, Youtube and other social media platforms is catching up.

    Despite this mind boggling usage growth, internet penetration is a shy 36% in 2012 and mobile smartphone penetration at a meek 15% in September of 2013. There are many assumptions on what the Filipinos are using the social media for but specific statistics remains elusive.  Are we using social media for personal, entertainment or to socialize? We don’t know, as of yet. I am not yet talking about social media healthcare but the answer should be a louder “we don’t know, yet!” .

    The thing is,  social media’s fast becoming a platform for healthcare engagement in developed nations. Take a look at this infographic in the US.

    digital-doctor-survey-zocdoc-588x908 (1)
    Infographic from HCSM monitor website (http://hcsmmonitor.com/2013/12/20/how-did-doctors-use-social-media-in-2013/)

    We are the social media capital of the world. We have the fastest internet and mobile phone penetrations and yet, we don’t know for sure how we are using social media for.

    This is why collaborators at #healthxph initiated this survey to document the social media usage among Filipino Physicians. Healthxph is a collaborative platform for community of Filipino physicians discussing the use of emerging technologies and social media in healthcare. We need to get the pulse of the physician community and come up with a strategy to effect change on our healthcare system vis-a vis, social media.

    This our plea to our colleagues in the medical profession.

    Please answer this  Social Media Survey Usage of Filipino Physicians. It will take less than 5 minutes of your internet time. All data gathered in this survey will remain confidential except for the demographics which might be used, for academic purposes. Identities of those surveyed will remain anonymous and private unless explicit consent from individual owners that their social media accounts be opened to public.

    At the end of the survey, demographic results will be emailed to all who participated in the study and will be posted at healthxph.net

    Resources

    As the internet turns 25, China has 2.5 times more users than US
    http://blog.globalwebindex.net/internet-turns-25

    Mobile Penetration in Southeast Asia: 2013 Data Roundup
    http://www.tigermine.com/2013/12/12/mobile-penetration-southeast-asia-2013-data-round/

    Global Map of Social Networking 2011
    https://globalwebindex.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/06/Global-Map-of-Social-Networking-GlobalWebIndex-June-20112.pdf

    Social, Digital and Mobile: Philippines
    http://wearesocial.net/blog/2012/01/social-digital-mobile-philippines/

    PH Internet audience growth fastest in Southeast Asia
    http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/technology/35384-philippine-internet-audience-growth-comscore

    HOW DID DOCTORS USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2013?

    How Did Doctors Use Social Media In 2013?

  • Is There Value to Social Media in Philippine Health Care?

    In the January 11, 2014 edition of #HealthXPh’s tweet chat and Hangout on Air,  #HealthXPh community discussed the value of social media to healthcare. Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan (@edocrine-witch)   nicely summed up what transpired during the tweet chat in her blog  The Endocrine Witch. As a follow through, I’m writing my responses here in the context of Philippine health care.

    What is social media? 

    Social media is a broad term that describes the use of mobile and web-based devices to turn what were typically one-way online “conversations” into open, interactive dialogue. These include blogs (WordPress, Blogspot, etc.), microblogs (Twitter) social and professional networking (Facebook, LinkedIn), community applications (Wikipedia, forums), geo-positioning software (Foursquare) and an ever-expanding list of “applications” (“apps”).-HiMSS Publication

    You can read more of social media in this page (Wikipedia on Social Media).

    Who is using it?

    Currently we don’t have Philippine data on healthcare social media usage.  Given that Filipinos are the world’s most active social media users, (with over 75% of the active online population using social media, compared with the global average of just over 50%- according to mediameasurement.com data; and this social media metrics too)  it’s not impossible that most if not all categories of healthcare stakeholders in the Philippines use social media too.

    The big question is, do these healthcare stakeholders use social media for healthcare purposes?

    T1: Is there value to social media use in healthcare?

    Social media provides value by connecting consumer (i.e. patients and support structure) with physicians/specialists, sources of information and specific support networks. It can also provide informational, communicative and emotional value to patients. Benefits to providers include the ability to quickly and proactively share information with patients.-HiMSS Publication

    In the Philippine context, yes. Social media has value when used in healthcare by any or all of its stakeholders. I wrote about the value of social media presence for healthcare professionals in 2011, here. In terms of patient engagement, much has to be explored and learned.

    The Filipino “friendliness”, “friend helping friend” or “bayanihan” attitude is postulated to be reason why Philippines is  the social media capital of the world. Such attitude easily recognizable across all social media networks where Filipinos are, could be of great value to support groups in health care.

    Sharing of healthcare information across social media networks is also of value for physicians and healthcare institutions. A well thought and implemented social media policy is a powerful tool for initial health consumer engagement. It may also be of alternative as a  patient follow through in areas where access to physicians and healthcare institutions is difficult.

    Some healthcare institutions in the Philippines are already using social media to solidify their online presence and engage their clientele. Physician associations and societies are beginning to build up their social media presence too. Of course, patient support groups sprouted and has been actively growing in numbers since.

    T2: What social media tools do you use for healthcare and how do you use them?

    Even if mobile sms isn’t  classified as social media, phones with texting interface to update social media networks have greyed social media definitions. With mobile sms to social media updates now possible, I use both sms and facebook (and sometimes twitter) to initially engage health consumers to come my clinics. I also use facebook to share health information.  To interact with colleagues and health care institution/academe, I use LinkedIn, twitter, facebook and now Google+. Each of this social media platforms has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the categories of healthcare stakeholders you are trying to target. I employ a mix of these platforms for better reach.

    T3: Do you think there should be guidelines on social media use in our hospitals/health care institutions?

    Of course there should be guidelines  to social media usage in healthcare. However, it should not be too restrictive to pin down social media’s potential to enhance patient engagement and healthcare collaboration. My idea of guidelines is akin to a digital version of a patient-doctor relationship offline, in the clinics. Privacy and confidentiality issues should be the same both offline or online. A digital consent maybe a step forward in this context. 

    My closing thoughts for this tweetchat/HOA/post, social media usage in healthcare is of value more so in the Philippine context. As to what category of healthcare stakeholders social media is of great value,  that’s where the guidelines should be developed. Taking cue from what @practicalwisdom has pointed in the #HealthXPh tweet chat,  there should be guidelines too on how we can explore further the value of social media for healthcare.  Not just restrictions. These guidelines will help explore social media usage to effect change in the Philippine health care system. 

    Photo credits to Social Media Explained in Healthcare in Visual.ly