I have been having more conversations every month about the use and value of social networking sites for interacting with patients. One of the concerns that I hear time and again from healthcare professionals is apprehension regarding protecting patient privacy. While privacy is always important, there are real benefits to being able to share insight with patients in an asynchronous environment.
Consider the implications of using a social site as a resource tool for the physician to share with patients whenever they choose to view it – especially when the office is closed. Telemedicine is a term that for some remains obscure in application within the physician-patient interaction. I use my blog posts to share information with the people who I know and trust in healthcare. Some people have even asked me why I share so much information. The answer is that behind the scenes it’s actually a two-way street among my healthcare peers, clients and me and it makes all of us better off.
Below is a link to an interesting article which gives examples of using social networks like Facebook and Twitter to interact with patients. Whether or not you agree with this type of exchange with health information I think you’ll at least find this thought provoking:
