Cast & Curious

Tag: social media

  • How Social Media is shaping health care response to typhoon ravaged communities

    latestMTSAT

    During previous typhoons in the Philippines, particularly typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), social media made an impact and changed the way we handle disaster and rehabilitation. People searched for unaccounted relatives and friends from all communication channels,  including social media. Typhoon updates and relief efforts were posted on social media sites. Comments and issues affecting post typhoon rehabilitation are played over social media sites. The country has a front line seat of what’s s happening before, during and after typhoon partly because of social media.  Healthcare, which played a major role in the aftermath, has had a big boost from social media.

    There were attempts at geo mapping medical personnel, healthcare institution and evacuation sites using social media tools-maps, tweets etc. Most of the healthcare and relief missions rallied and recruited volunteers from social media campaigns. The much needed medical supplies and support personnel somehow got bolstered by calls from social media sites. There was a frenzy of healthcare related activities and  medical mission on social media. Seemingly random and unorganised, its undeniable social media made a great impact on post typhoon missions and rehabilitation.

    Facing another super typhoon at our doorsteps, we enjoined our colleagues globally to help us harness social media as a tool for survival in a typhoon prone healthcare system of the Philippines.

    • T1: How can social media help prepare a healthcare system prior to a typhoon?
    • T2: Is there a role for social media healthcare during the onslaught of a typhoon?
    • T3: How can social media healthcare help rehabilitate a “damaged” community?

    We look forward tweet chatting you all on December 6, 2014 around 9:00Pm Manila time as we monitor Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) during its passage in the Philippines.

  • Who owns Healthcare data on Social Media?

    What constitute healthcare data? Who owns it? Who has complete control over healthcare data?

    Let me describe first the two general types of health data:(Wikipedia)

    A personal health record, or PHR, is a health record where health data and information related to the care of a patient is maintained by the patient.

    An electronic health record (EHR), or electronic medical record (EMR), is a systematic collection of electronic health information about an individual patient or population

    Patients have total control over their PHRs.  Although an EHR maybe co-created by both the HCP and patient, it generally resides and is maintained within an institution such as a clinic or hospital.

    In countries with paper based systems of recording healthcare data, the same type of healthcare data “ownership” may be inferred. The patients have total control of their personal health record while the healthcare institution, over hospital/clinic records.

    Some patients wanted access over his or her clinic/ hospital records (EHR or paper based). Others, want total control over it. The rising trend of sharing healthcare data in social media fueled fears of healthcare data privacy breaches.  In this age of smartphones and social media, who owns healthcare data?

    These are the burning issues on #HealthXPh tweetchat this Saturday September 13, 2014 at 9:00 PM Manila time. I highly encourage both HCPs and patients to share their thoughts and opinions!

    • T1. What healthcare data can patients share on social media?
    • T2. If HCP names are redacted, does that remove need to secure consent before posting?
    • T3 .What can the HCP/patient do if he/she’s identifiable in any social media platform posted?

    Follow #HealthXPh on twitter and join us on our regular Saturday tweetchat!

  • 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?

  • How to start (or join) a Google+ Hangout On Air

    (This is a three part mini series by the author on Google+ ‘s Hangout on Air. The first part explains why #HealthXPh chose Hangout On Air as a platform for its online conversations. The second part is a mini how-to, to help out healthcare advocates set up their own HOA. The third part will deal on HOA etiquette which we hopefully would incorporate on future HOA)

    We’ve been using twitter (tweet chat) and Hangout On Air (HOA) for our online conversations here at #HealthXPh. So far, it’s been a fun and learning experience for us. The thing is, there’s just five of us who have  joined the #HealthXPh HOA. The rest I supposed, are lurking on the the youtube feed. Why?

    Setting up an HOA or joining one is a bit frustrating sometimes.  The technical aspect repels most people.  I remember starting a live HOA before, with just me on it. I couldn’t find the “invite” button. Well guess what?! The youtube video recorded a confused face appearing to fix something for 15 minutes.  So much for the techie guy  huh?

    This is why  I am writing an HOA mini how to. So you won’t end up looking “confused” inside an HOA!  At the end of this article, I hope you try out HOA and join us in our regular #HealthXPh HOA discussions. The best way to learn new apps/tools online like Hangouts on Air is to try it out yourself.

    A. What you need:

    • A computer/laptop/smartphone (iOS/Android)
    • A web browser (Chrome preferably) if you have a desktop/laptop or Google Plus app + Hangout plugin for smartphones
    • A working webcam and headset for the video chat

    B. To broadcast an HOA live (or join an HOA) you need to set up the following  first. (Click the hyperlinks for help )

    C. There are two ways you can start an HOA. You can start one immediately or schedule a Hangout On Air with an event page. I recommend the later. Here are the steps you need to do: (Got these steps from this HOA help page)

    1. Go to Hangouts On Air.
    2. Click Start a Hangout On Air.
    3. Create a name and a description in the first two boxes.
    4. Choose a start time:
      • Choose Now to start the Hangout On Air  immediately after you create the event page.
      • Choose Later and fill in the date and time for when you want your Hangout On Air to start.
    5. Choose your audience: This is the audience that can see the Google+ event page. For maximum reach, “Public” is recommended. Adding specific people and circles ensures they receive a notification. Regardless of the audience you choose here, the Hangout On Air will be publicly viewable on YouTube.
    6. Click Share to schedule your Hangout On Air.

    People can RSVP to your Hangout On Air through the event page and view on multiple devices. (Remember though this does not automatically include you in the HOA during the broadcast. The even page is just an announcement page to make people aware of the scheduled HOA. The host still needs to invite you thru a video call once the HOA started.)

    D. Upload a video or an image (This is an optional step, and I haven’t tried this one yet)

    Once your event page has been created, you can add a video or image as a custom trailer for your Hangout On Air. If you don’t add one, your users will see a countdown clock to the event.

    To add a custom video, click Add a trailer and add a YouTube video by either searching, entering a YouTube URL, or selecting a video already uploaded to your YouTube account.

    To add a custom image, click Add a trailer and add an image.

    E. Collect audience questions before your Hangout On Air starts

    You can turn on the Q&A app from the event page to gather questions from the audience before your Hangout On Air starts and answer them during the broadcast. When you start the Hangout On Air, open the Q&A app to see the list of questions asked.

    F. Start broadcasting your scheduled Hangout On Air

    1. Go to your Hangout On Air event in your Google+ events page.
    2. Click Start in your event.
    3. Invite your participants.
    4. Click Start Broadcast to go live.

    Once you start your Hangout On Air, you can also add more features and apps to your Hangout On Air. Below is an example of youtube’s  recording of an #HealthXPh weekly Hangout On Air:

    G. How do I join an HOA?

    Joining an HOA can be a bit confusing too.  When someone schedules an HOA, the link created lead you to the Youtube feed, not the HOA itself. The host should create an event page first, announcing the scheduled HOA, then invite everyone to the event. This way, the potential audience will be aware of the scheduled HOA. During the actual HOA  and prior to the live broadcast, the host will have to invite you again thru a video call.  This has been the case for us so far. Here are the steps for joining an HOA:

    1. Go to your hangout plugin and wait for a video call invite.
    2. Once you receive a video call, click “join”.  A pop up screen will warn you that you are joining a live broadcast. After checking the ticker that says yes, you will then be brought to the HOA screen.
    3. Once inside the live HOA, check to see if your hangout apps are all working- screen share, Q&A, cameraman, mute/unmute button and your  hide/unhide camera button.
    4. Wait for the host/moderator to acknowledge you. It’s also good habit to check if the moderator can hear/see you.
    5. Introduce yourself to the group briefly before joining any discussion.
    6. Speak only when the moderator ask you to speak. Mute your mic if its not your turn to speak yet.
    7. Do not open the youtube feed of the HOA together with the HOA window to prevent echoes from ruining your conversations.

    Like any discussions, HOAs are moderated usually by the host. He or she has control of almost everything inside HOA. Thus, the host plays a central role that keeps the HOA lively and highly interactive. If you are invited in an HOA that would mean you can ask questions and interact with the speakers/panel at a designated time.

    Thats it! In my next post, I will be suggesting HOA ground rules and etiquette. Watch out for it!

  • 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