Posts Tagged ‘social media’
Which social tool do you use?
April 7, 2010
It doesn’t take much effort to see the impact social media is having on almost every avenue of our lives, both professionally and personally. Tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, just to name a few, are changing the way and frequency in which we communicate. It should be no surprise, then, that even Healthcare would find itself impacted by the influence and immediacy that social media provides.
We value your opinion and want to know what tools you use to stay up with the latest news and information. Give us your thoughts. Take our poll on social media in healthcare, and let us know what tool(s) you use.
Take the Poll and see results at CWRUmedicine.org
Social Media & Work/Life Balance Poll
March 22, 2010
Social media usage has soared not just among the general population but also among at-work Internet users – especially in the medical community, who are heading to the sites for both personal and professional reasons in greater numbers. But is the line of pleasure and productivity becoming too thin?
“The Collaborative Internet” report from Internet security firm FaceTime Communications found increases in the proportion of at-work Web users worldwide logging on to each network studied. LinkedIn was the top site for professional social networking in 2009, followed by Twitter, which was used by more than three-quarters of respondents for work reasons.
The top reasons users gave for using social sites at work were professional networking with colleagues (79%), learning about colleagues (66%), and general research (61%). A comparatively low 37% were logging on to social sites for the more specialized function of marketing to patients.
Social media can create complications when it comes to “friending” colleagues and patients, another issue raised by such sites, which blur boundaries because of their usefulness but potential HIPPA violations both at home and on the job!
Take our poll and tell us what you think www.CWRUmedicine.org
Is Twitter necessary for physicians and other medical professionals? Vote now
March 2, 2010
Twitter has captured the mainstream imagination, with celebrities and news organizations embracing the medium. Will Twitter soon be an essential tool for medical practices? VOTE NOW
More doctors are using Twitter to connect both with patients and other medical professionals. Some hospitals have “live-Tweeted” surgery, to great fanfare, allowing the public a peek into the operating room and giving them an opportunity to ask the surgeons questions mid-procedure.
Other doctors use Twitter to communicate with patients. Generally not to give medical advice, but to guide the public to reputable sources of information, or share breaking medical news. The CDC, for instance, uses Twitter to provide constant updates on H1N1 influenza.
Finally, Twitter offers an invaluable opportunity for doctors to ask questions of other medical providers. Given the real-time nature of Twitter, opinions and answers to clinical issues can be obtained immediately.
Some doctors simply do not have enough time to Twitter, or utilize other social media applications like Facebook. And time spent with patients in the social media sphere is certainly not compensated by health insurance.
But Twitter is a valuable way to reach thousands of people at once. And for busy doctors, who often need to both inform patients and connect with other medical colleagues, that can be an invaluable.
I encourage you to vote in this week’s CWRUmedicine SHARE communication poll, located below, to tell us what you think.
