1. Social Media & Medicine
Iris Thiele Isip Tan MD, FPCP, FPSEM
MS Health Informatics (cand.)
Clinical Associate Professor, UP College of Medicine
Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Philippine General Hospital
http://blog.thoughtpick.com/2010/11/10-must-know-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthamm/2945559128/ advantages-disadvantages-of-social-media.html
2. Social Media
Internet-based
applications that allow
the creation and
exchange of user-
generated content
http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/webdesign-social-marketing-
gadget-tech-and-web-20-news Accessed 27 Jan 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media
3. http://www.techdigest.tv/ http://bartelme.at/journal/archive/
2009/06/ten_great_reaso.html twitter_replacement_icon
Content
Blogs & communities
microblogs
http://technorati.com/
blogging/article/facebook-
posting-trips-up-woman-in/
Collaborative Social
projects networking
sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg
Social Virtual Virtual
communities
media game
worlds
http://en.wikipedia.org/ http://unconwtech.free.fr/
wiki/Social_media technologies/
4. Impact on the
practice of medicine
http://eyecareprofessionals
group.com/blog/
Opportunity to reach out
to patients
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/
09/10/1006_twitterville/17.htm
Caveats and pitfalls
http://www.watblog.com/tag/facebook-privacy/
5. Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0 by Andre Pan, 5 Sept 2006.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/popoever/234877734/
8. Digital Native
“native speaker” of the
digital language of the
Internet
Digital Immigrant
not born in the digital
world but have
adopted new
technology
Prensky M. “Digital Natives, Digital
Immigrants” From On the Horizon
NCB University Press 9(5), Oct 2001
9. e-Patient
Use web to gather information
Seek online guidance
Demand better health information
and services
Insist on a different relationship
with their doctors
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
11. Physician Networking Sites
Sermo
MD members discuss clinical issues
Medpedia
Collaborative encyclopedia (Harvard
Medical School, UC-Berkeley School of Public
Health, Stanford Medical School and the University
of Michigan Medical School)
iMedExchange
Doctors’ lounge and info resource
Ozmosis
“Social Media and Medicine” in New England Journal of
Medicine Career Center Mar 2010 at http://www.nejmjobs.org
13. Business Model Sermo
Provides companies access
to physician discussions
Allows companies to post
information on the site
Sells reports on exchanges
on clinical topics
Gives honoraria to MDs who
participate in surveys, panels
and case conferences
“Social Media and Medicine” in New England Journal of
Medicine Career Center Mar 2010 at http://www.nejmjobs.org
15. Impact on the
practice of medicine
http://eyecareprofessionals
group.com/blog/
Opportunity to reach out
to patients
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/
09/10/1006_twitterville/17.htm
Caveats and pitfalls
http://www.watblog.com/tag/facebook-privacy/
23. Disaster alerting and response Location awareness during crisis
Blood glucose tracking Mood tracking for bipolar disorder
Adverse event reporting Daily health tips
Drug safety alerts Environmental alerts
140 Health Care Uses of Twitter
http://philbaumann.com/2009/01/16/140-health-care-uses-for-twitter/
http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/14/the-new-twitter/
27. 540 US Hospitals using social
media tools!
247 YouTube channels
316 Facebook pages
419 Twitter accounts
67 blogs
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
28. Began podcasting in 2005
Most popular medical provider channel on YouTube
100,000 followers on Twitter
Facebook page with over 30,000 connections
Pioneer in hospital blogging
29. Mission
Lead the social media revolution in health care, contributing to
health and well being for people everywhere
Vision
Mayo clinic will be the authentic voice for patients and health
care professionals, building relationships through the
revolutionary power of social media
30. A virtual place for the Clinic’s community of patients
(500,000 unique patients from 150 countries yearly) to
connect and share their expenses
Online companion to newsletter Sharing Mayo Clinic
Hub that links to YouTube and Facebook
32. Mayo Clinic News
Medical and Scientific News and Stories about Mayo Clinic
Medical Experts for Media
List of Mayo Clinic medical experts to help
journalists working on health and science stories
33. Impact on the
practice of medicine
http://eyecareprofessionals
group.com/blog/
Opportunity to reach out
to patients
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/
09/10/1006_twitterville/17.htm
Caveats and pitfalls
http://www.watblog.com/tag/facebook-privacy/
34.
"Be civil to all;
sociable to many;
familiar with few;
friend to one;
enemy to none."
Benjamin Franklin
http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/01/social-media-
analytics-6-steps-measuring.html
35. Physicians should be cognizant of standards of patient
privacy and confidentiality that must be maintained in
all environments, including online, and must refrain from
posting identifiable patient information online.
AMA Policy:
Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
American Medical Association, Oct 2010
36. When using the Internet for social networking, physicians should use
privacy settings to safeguard personal information and content to
the extent possible, but should realize privacy settings are not
absolute and that once on the Internet, content is likely there
permanently. Thus physicians should routinely monitor their own
Internet presence to ensure that the personal and professional
information in their own sites and, to the extent possible, content
posted about them by others, is accurate and appropriate.
AMA Policy:
Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
American Medical Association, Oct 2010
37. Yelp
A social rating site
Patient criticized SF chiropractor’s billing practices
Jan 2009
Charges of defamation-libel and invasion of privacy
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
38. Anti-defamation service
Contract provisions restricting a patient’s right to make
negative comments on rating websites
“The gag contract Wall of Shame”
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
39. If they interact with patients on the Internet,
physicians must maintain appropriate boundaries of
the patient-physician relationship in accordance
with professional ethical guidelines just,
as they would in any other context.
AMA Policy:
Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
American Medical Association, Oct 2010
40. Online “messages” between an MD and his “friend” on
Facebook creates an electronic record of the exchange
Can potentially support existence a
physician-patient relationship
Can create liability
(HIPAA, medical malpractice, patient abandonment, etc.
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
41. DISCLAIMER
The site and the information contained therein is made available
by the author for educational purposes only and is not intended to
provide medical advice. By accessing the site, you understand
and acknowledge that there is no physician-patient relationship between
you and the author. You further acknowledge your understanding
that the site should not be used as a substitute for competent medical
advice from a licensed physician in your state.
Always read the Terms of Use!
42. To maintain appropriate professional boundaries
physicians should consider separating personal and
professional content online.
AMA Policy:
Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
American Medical Association, Oct 2010
43. Should superiors “friend”
or “follow” subordinates?
Can trigger or exacerbate legal claims
(harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination)
What would you do?
You see a post on a
colleague’s Facebook wall
indicating that he has been
drinking alcohol recently ...
and you know that he is
or has been on call?
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
44. When physicians see content posted by colleagues that
appears unprofessional they have a responsibility to bring that
content to the attention of the individual, so that he or she can
remove it and/or take other appropriate actions. If the behavior
significantly violated professional norms and the individual does
not take appropriate action to resolve the situation, the physician
should report the matter to appropriate authorities.
AMA Policy:
Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
American Medical Association, Oct 2010
45. Physicians must recognize that actions online and
content posted may negatively affect their reputations
among patients and colleagues, may have
consequences for their medical careers (particularly for
physicians-in-training and medical students), and can
undermine public trust in the medical profession.
AMA Policy:
Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
American Medical Association, Oct 2010
46. Report from 60% of US medical schools
Violation of patient confidentiality 13%
Use of profanity 52%
Frankly discriminatory language 48%
Depiction of intoxication 39%
Sexually suggestive material 38%
Chretien KC et al. JAMA 2009; 30(12):1309-1315
47. Guidelines for Networking Sites
David H. Brendel MD, PhD
Chair of McLean Hospital’s Institutional Review Board
Address a patient’s online invitation immediately and in
person to avoid damaging the therapeutic relationship.
Do not include information obtained through social
networking websites to a patient’s medical record without
their consent.
Use discretion when posting personal information online.
Understand the privacy policies available on social
networking websites and use them to limit access to
personal information.
Physicians Using Social Media, March 2010
at http://iconsinmedicine.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/physicians-using-social-media/
48. Develop a Social Media Policy
Be transparent and authentic
Never represent yourself in a false way
Don’t betray a patient’s or colleague’s trust
Be responsible for what you write
Be authentic and consider your audience
Protect confidential and proprietary information
Post factual, meaningful and courteous comments
Use common sense and common courtesy
Add value to yourself and your company
Find the proper balance between your use of social media and your
other work
Coffield RL et al. Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms
of Social Media. AHLA Connections March 2010;10-14
49. Impact on the
practice of medicine
http://eyecareprofessionals
group.com/blog/
Opportunity to reach out
to patients
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/
09/10/1006_twitterville/17.htm
Caveats and pitfalls
http://www.watblog.com/tag/facebook-privacy/