TAMING THE FRONTIER...
already does exist online, outside of the
glittery confines of Buzzfeed top 10 lists.
Pew Internet Research reveals that patients
have long since been using the internet for
their health research. However, given the glut
of limp information, they don't always know
what's worth their time. Using their credibility
as medical professionals with a social media
presence, physicians can steer their followers
(and the general online conversation) towards
sensible health information, standing as a
voice of reason and clarity amidst a deluge of
shallow misinformation.
Sure, patients need not sound the alarm
bells over a sunburn, cold or bee sting, but
some conditions really should be verified by a
professional. Furthermore, the gamut of health
information available online varies
substantially. Credible health sites, clear on
down to "these 5 foods will make you
invincible" articles are all fair game for a curious
patient, who may not have the necessary
discernment to separate scientifically proven
information with internet link-bait.
Social Media
Perhaps this is social media's greatest
application for physicians. While still a
tenuous development in many circles, and a
constant medical headline in others, the
benefits it offers for willing physicians are
numerous. For one, it allows them to connect
with large groups of patients instantly and on
numerous levels, disseminating valuable
health information and even practice-centric
details (closures, rescheduling and the like) as
a "customer service" to local patients.
In a recent KevinMD article on social
media's application for physicians, Howard
Luks, MD distills it poignantly as "a place
outside of the confines of our offices to
address the questions, fears, and
apprehensions of the countless individuals
seeking meaningful, actionable, and useful
health care information."
Is this the job of the Physician?
Absolutely. The implication of a physician's
work goes far beyond the four walls of the
exam room. Where patients once had a
dearth of health information, they now have
more than they can feasibly handle at once.
Academic, jargon-ridden, peer reviewed
articles are a wonderful blessing of the
internet, one that affords scholars and
physicians alike to crack untold tomes of
information with simple mouse clicks.
However, patients (by and large) aren't
scouring these sources, nor are they always
able to adequately understand them.
Good physicians take complicated health
conditions and procedures explain them in a
digestible way to patients in the exam room,
so too can they re-direct this kind of delivery
onto the social media channels and avenues
that their patients are most likely to be using.
Misinformation
Though often well-meaning, social media
is often a breeding-ground for short, vapid,
shareable bits of information, more geared at
gaining hits and read-clicks than actually
informing anyone of anything substantial.
Well, that and needless political debates.
Physicians online have the ability to control
this conversation though, and can change it
by simply sharing good links online. There
need not be any breeches of HIPAA guidelines
or delving into off-limits territory (a quick
Google search can tell you all the problems
there), but can take from the wealth of solid,
useful and relevant health information that
The Cream Rises
Perhaps the idea of taking to social media
leaves some physicians feeling rattled.
Certainly, one can lead a patient to quality
healthcare information, but you can't
necessarily force them to follow it...and what
about all the other stuff out there, clouding
the way for quality information?
The cream will rise to the top, so to speak.
Good, credible and comprehensible...
This article is Continued at:
articles.PhysiciansOfficeResource.com
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