Cast & Curious

Tag: social media healthcare

  • Should the medical community recognize the social media work of healthcare professionals?

    A surgeon blogger  raised an interesting question about social media and academe in his blog Skeptical Scalpel.

    [quote style=”boxed”]Should academia recognize social media achievements?[/quote]

    The author compared his blog post‘s page views to the number of people who read his published scientific articles – peer-reviewed papers, case reports, review articles, book chapters, editorials, and letters to journal editors on a peer reviewed journal.  The 13, 400 pageviews his blog post generated “far exceeded the views his peer reviewed scientific articles” garnered!  The metrics he used maybe a bit crude but you can’t just disregard those numbers.

    This multi authored site Healthxph.net began eight months ago, published some 50 posts, had a total of 6K plus views as of today. HealthXPh health care related topics are broadcast and discussed over twitter via a healthcare tweetchat #healthxph. At one point, a healthxph tweetchat generated  some 9 million plus impressions spread  globally. Crude as it may seem, but that tweet chat impressions most probably far exceeded too the “page views” of all the published scientific articles of this site authors combined!

    We want the fastest way to share new medical information into the scientific community and jump start discussion. Or maybe refute it. The broader, general audience will most likely benefit if new healthcare information is readily available and accessible to them. That was exactly what we wanted for paper based journals a century ago. Peer reviewed online publications had the same goal with its launch twenty something years ago.Today, social media is poised to that too. We just need more healthcare professionals to run healthcare social media.

    Most of us acknowledge the value of social media to learning. It’s role beginning to take shape in the academe. Healthcare systems use social media to deliver vital medical information to the scientific community. The rapid spread of information on social media makes new medical information available to the general public, fast and easily accessible.

    We recognize social media’s value to healthcare  yet , we seem reluctant to accept the fact we need healthcare professionals to “run” healthcare social media.

    Join us his Saturday October 11, 2014 at 9PM Manila time as we discuss the following issues

    • T1. Should the medical community recognize social media works of healthcare professionals? Why or why not?
    • T2. How should the healthcare system quantify social media work by healthcare professionals?
    • T3. How should the medical community peer review social media work of healthcare professionals? Why or why not?

  • What’s your manifesto as a patient on Social Media? #HealthXPh Feb 22 Tweetchat and HOA

    One request I often get from tech and social media savvy patients is this, “Doc, can I add you as my friend on Facebook?”.

    My reply is something like this : “ No, I don’t add patients as friends on facebook, but you can communicate with me on my professional facebook page”.  I sometimes draw flak on this social media policy but as I’ve mentioned in our last #HealthXPh tweet chat and Hangout On Air (Social Media and Medical Professionalism: A manifesto from #HealthXPh) this is the best setup for me and my patients so far.

    I do realize though that patients probably wanted a  social media manifesto of their own, just like their physicians. This manifesto empowers patient to “own up” their health and bring health care conversations to their level.

    To refresh, a manifesto as defined by Merriam-Webster.com, is :

    a written statement that describes the policies, goals, and opinions of a person or group.

    A social media manifesto self commits an individual- a patient or a healthcare professional, how he/she intends to behave on the different social media platforms.  We at #HealthXPh believe a manifesto is different from a guideline. A guideline  is enforced by a governing body based on existing laws and policies. In the Philippines, we don’t have healthcare social media laws or governing bodies yet. A manifesto is more powerful because it’s an expression of what an individual or group’s  intends to do on social media.

    If you are a patient and wanted to join the conversation on patient’s social media manifesto, join us this Saturday February 22, 2014 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time (UTC + 8 ) on #HealthXPh tweet chat and Hangout On Air.

  • 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

  • January 4, 2014 #HealthXPh Hangout on Air Launching- Your most relevant emerging technology in healthcare

    On Saturday January 4, 2014 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time, #HealthXPh will be formally launched live on Google+ Hangout on Air (HOA). Core collaborators discussed the framework for #HealthXPh  in the last Hangout on Air. In summary;

    HealthXPh is a platform for healthcare stakeholders – physicians, patients, healthcare institutions, academe and policy makers, to discuss emerging technologies in health as it impacts the Philippine health landscape.

    #HealthXPh Hangout on Air will be a regular Saturday event for the HealthXPh community. #HealthXPh’s format is basically similar to #HCLDR chats, thanks to our colleagues Lisa Fields (@PracticalWisdom) and Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) at Healthcare Leadership Blog.  Topics and a corresponding speaker or panel of speakers will be assigned to each hangout sessions.  Each hangout sessions will also have a preassigned moderator.

    Participants are encouraged to join the discussions and will be given time to speak or ask questions during interactive sessions. Questions maybe entertained thru Google chat ( which is just beside your Google+ hangout window) twitter using hashtag #HealthXPh or tru our FB group and FB page during the live session.

    The topics for this Saturday’s HOA are:

    • T1 Panel: What is #HealthXPh from the core collaborators?
    • T2 Open Mike: What emerging technologies do you find important and relevant in healthcare?
    • T3 Open Mike: What do you think are the obstacles to the use of emerging technologies in healthcare?
    • Closing Thought (CT): What’s one thing you’ve learned in todays discussion that you can take to your place of influence to help a patient or colleague tomorrow?

    Dr. Remo-tito Aguilar will be the moderator for this HOA.

    Here’s some very good articles you can get ideas for discussion along the Philippine healthcare context.

    1. Let’s start a grassroots physician social media movement. Wes Fisher MD. on KevinMD.com
    2. Seven Effective Ways to Engage on Twitter (shared by @endocrine_witch)
    3. 7 Social media blunders to avoid in 2014 (shared by @cebumd @endocrine_witch)

    Photo Credit to Aaron Guiterman at www.ddadvocacy.com

  • Framework for #HealthXPh on its first Hang Out on Air

    HealthXPh core collaborators Drs. Iris Isip-Tan (@endocrine_witch), Remo Aguilar (@bonedoc), Gia Sison (@giasison), Narciso Tapia (@cebumd)  went on Google+Hangout On Air last Saturday December 28, 2013 at 10AM PST to discuss the framework for #HealthXPh. Here’s what we’ve come up, so far.

    • #HealthXPh is a platform for patient and physician engagement and /or collaboration.
    • Discussions on #HealthXPh will be on the context of emerging technologies in healthcare and social media as it affects the Philippine health scene.
    • #HealthXPh will primarily engage physicians and patients in the Philippines as well as Filipinos abroad. It will however push for a global engagement in the fields of healthcare and social media in the future.
    • While #HealthXPh is the platform, it will  collaborate and engage physicians and patients  from all avenues of social media (twitter,FB, Google+,blogs, etc.) to a healthy discussion on healthcare and social media.

    On #HealthXPh Google Hang Out on Air:

    • Regular #HealthXPh Google+ Hangout On Air (HOA) will be every Saturday 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time.
    • A #HealthXPh topic will be assigned every HOA and its announcement should be at a minimum of 3days prior to HOA.
    • An expert or panel of experts will also be assigned every HOA and may come from either the physicians or patients on HealthXPh.
    • A moderator will also be assigned each HOA. The moderator will be the “lead” in topic assignment, pre HOA audience build up and post HOA summary.
    • For purposes of highly interactive discussions, an audience maybe assigned to lead interactions and questions.
    • Training modules for social media “adoption” for physicians and patients shall be included in the topics for HOA.
    • While we are on regular Google+ Hangout on air every saturday, discussions will continue on various #HealthXPh topics thru Twitter, hashtag “#HealthXPh”, facebook in this discussion group and on Google+, in this community

    #HealthXPh is an open and free community of healthcare stakeholders (Physicians, patients, HC institutions, HC academe)  discussing emerging technologies in health and social media as it impacts the Philippine health landscape. To join, interact and make known your presence known inside these #HealthXph communities:

    Thank you Drs. Iris Isip-Tan, Gia Sison and Narciso Tapia for the lively discussions!