World Health Day: Benefits of Social Media in Healthcare

Many social media tools are available for health care professionals, including social networking platforms, blogs, microblogs, wikis, media-sharing sites, and virtual reality and gaming environments. These tools can be used to improve or enhance professional networking and education, organizational promotion, patient care, patient education, and public health programs.

So on the occasion of World Health Day we bring you some benefits of social media in healthcare:

1. Connect with other physicians

The internet and increasingly social media have changed that giving the general public not simply access to medical information, but become active participants in two-way direct communication initiatives. There are benefits for healthcare professionals as well. Carrying on from the local doctor in a small community, the doctor encounters a patient with an unusual set of symptoms. Leveraging Social Media to connect with other Physicians is a great way to expand your range of knowledge, by ways of expanding your professional medical network beyond the borders of your medical library and local health integration network.

2. Real-Time Medical Advice

Through social media, hospitals and other organizations are able to deliver real-time updates on hospital capacity, operation status and emergency room access. Having an active social media presence allows healthcare professionals to pass along information shared by organizations such as the Red Cross, and the Centers for Disease Control or communicate with news outlets.

3. Educate the general public about diseases and their cures

Peer-To-Peer healthcare has become a source for patient information and support. 25% of patients diagnosed with chronic medical conditions have used the internet to find and engage with others with the same medical conditions. Healthcare practitioners should tap these health subcultures to provide an accountable and educated word of advice. Social Media’s one-to-many capabilities also allow you to provide the general public medical advice without compromising confidentiality. Consider patient adherence. As you may know, patient adherence is an issue facing healthcare organizations across disciplines. A well-crafted article on self-directed exercises, medical device use and self-care provides your patients near real-time advice to correctly follow medical advice.