Social Networking and Other Web-Based Applications in Healthcare

Chapter 14

Social Networking and Other Web-Based Applications in Healthcare

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 

What Is Social Media?

Social media definitions include:

Web-based applications

Interactive capabilities

User-generated content

Sharing and collaboration features

 

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2

Based on web 2.0 principles, is interactive rather than passive dissemination of content.

2

What Is Social Media? (Cont.)

Uses of social media include:

Provider-to-consumer

Consumer-to-consumer

Companies-to-consumers

Organizations-to-consumers

Provider-to-provider

Public health-to-consumer

 

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3

 

3

What Is Social Media? (Cont.)

Major organizations using social media

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Mayo Clinic

Veterans Administration

 

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

4

Does your health care institution use social media?

4

Social Media Tools

Social networks

Blogs and Wikis

Microblogging

Social bookmarking

User-generated sites (e.g., YouTube, Flikr)

Virtual worlds

 

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

5

 

Social Media Tools (Cont.)

Social networks

Online platforms enable groups and individuals to connect with others to share similar interests.

Blogging and Wikis

Blogs represent a web-based, chronological journal of an individual author’s thoughts.

Wikis represent a collaborative, web-based effort to compile information on a particular topic.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

6

 

Social Media Tools (Cont.)

Microblogging (Twitter)

Is a form of blogging where entries are kept brief using character limitations.

Social bookmarking

Is a way to organize and store online resources.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7

 

Social Media Tools (Cont.)

User-generated content

Channels allow visitors to view and share media (e.g., videos, audio, photographs).

Virtual worlds

Allows users to create a three-dimensional arena with graphics and sound simulation for education and socialization purposes.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

8

 

Social Media Statistics

One in five Americans use social media to obtain healthcare information.

Fifty-nine percent of U.S. adults have used the Internet to obtain health information, whereas 46% of adults use social media.

Fifteen percent of those users (or 7% of all adults) have sought health information from a social media site.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

9

 

Social Media Statistics (Cont.)

Eleven percent of all adults have followed a friend’s health experiences on a social network site.

Seventeen percent of social network site users have used a social network to memorialize someone.

Twenty-four percent of Internet users have sought drug reviews online.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

10

 

Benefits of Social Media

Allows information to be shared with the intended community.

Microblogging produces valuable public health information and is a possible motivator.

Patients find people with similar conditions.

Increases public awareness.

Sites are used to recruit patients for research.

Enables patients to manage their own health.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

11

 

Challenges of Social Media

Privacy and confidentiality

Inappropriate behaviors

Security

Regulatory issues

Market pressure

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

12

 

Challenges—Privacy and Confidentiality

Healthcare providers are “dual-citizens.” They must:

Adhere to federal laws and professional standards.

Acknowledge information unintentionally revealed by actions on social media sites.

Be aware of privacy and security measures taken by social media sites.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

13

 

Challenges—Inappropriate Behaviors

Questionable blog and photographic postings

Unprofessional commenting

Projecting attitudes unbecoming of respectable healthcare personnel

Actively seeking out patient information online

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

14

 

Challenges—Security

Viruses

Spyware

Phishing and Internet threats

Malicious friending

Security breaches

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

15

 

Challenges—Regulatory Issues

Social media sites and the Internet as a whole are not regulated.

Companies must be cautious and avoid posting anything that could be viewed as off-label promotions.

Healthcare providers must be cognizant of the medical information they post and the advice that they provide.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

16

 

Challenges—Market Pressure

Market pressure and consumer demand for social media applications are growing.

More and more social media resources are emerging to provide public opinion on goods and services.

Healthcare providers find the low cost use of social media as an economical means to market their resources, educate patients, and engender patient loyalty.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

17

 

Policy

Policies are needed to guide organizations and clinicians through recommended social media practices and should:

Limit information disclosure.

Illuminate the behaviors that increase the potential for breaches of patient privacy and confidentiality.

Engender professional integrity by discouraging clinicians from divulging too much of their own personal information.

Define acceptable limits for social media use, as well as the consequences for its overuse.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

18

 

Resources for Policy Development

An institution’s existing information security policy may be adapted to meet identified needs.

An institution can find useful guidance from other institutions, government bodies, and professional organizations.

See Box 14-3 for specific resources.

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

19

 

Conclusion and Future Directions

If Healthcare + Social = Social Health (today)

Then Social Health (today) = Health (future)

Copyright © 2014 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

20

Scroll to Top