Social media are pervasive, powerful communications tools. What are the risks and benefits of using them in cancer care? I discuss it in this talk at Yale April 10, 2014.
Matthew KatzRadiation Oncologist, at Lowell General Hospital and Elliot Hospital
2. Conflict of Interest
External advisor, Mayo Clinic Center for
Social Media
Previous consulting for Augmenix, Inc (2012-
May 2013)
No financial links, leadership position with
any social media company
3. Overview
Social Media
Definition
Types
Role in Medicine
Risks and Opportunities
Clinical
Research
Why it matters in cancer care
Ethical
Practical
Summary
http://www.slideshare.net/subatomicdoc
4. Definition
“Social media are web-based tools for
interaction that, in addition to conversation,
allow users to share content such as photos,
videos, and links to resources”
-- Meredith Gould, The Social Media Gospel
5. Brave New World
Geography doesn’t matter
as much as internet access
Communities are defined
by interest, not location
New dynamics for
previously isolated people
8. Rapid Adoption in U.S.
In the US:
35% have searched for a
medical condition online for
diagnosis
80% start with a search
engine
N=3,014, Sept. 2012
Source: Pew Internet Source: Pew Internet
http://bit.ly/1moDRZ4 http://bit.ly/1gXxHv7
N = 1,445, Sept. 2013
42% of adults are using social networks
11. Institute of Medicine report
Grajales et al, IOM/PLM 2014
http://bit.ly/1deNg2g
CR [1058] PLM [2125]
Age 60+ 30% 23%
Fair/poor health 15% 54%
Specialist is main provider 3% 17%
Feel medical care isn’t coordinated 30% 37%
Want more health information sharing 95% 98%
CR = Consumer Reports survey
PLM = Patientslikeme
12. Data Sharing: PatientsLikeMe
Willing to share de-identified data with:
MDs 94%
Researchers 92%
Drug companies 84%
Public Health officials 77%
Perception of how likely PHI might be used
76% without my knowledge
72% to deny health benefits
66% to limit job opportunities
61% stolen by individuals or companies
Grajales et al, IOM/PLM 2014
http://bit.ly/1deNg2g
13. Track and Interact
Activity No Conditions 1 Condition 2+ Conditions
Self-track health metrics 61% 70% 80%
Trackers share notes
w/others
30% 39%
Trackers with chronic conditions
41% use pencil/paper
4% mobile phone app
1% use a website
Source: Pew Internet
http://bit.ly/1gXxHv7
17. Rapid growth of professionals on Twitter
• Data analytics firms track us, including NPI numbers
Creation Pinpoint, http://bit.ly/1hU6Kqd
18. Cancer on Twitter
Organization Twitter Handle Followers
World Health Organization @WHO 1.2 M
Mayo Clinic @MayoClinic 754 K
American Cancer Society @AmericanCancer 457 K
Health Human Services @HHSGov 369 K
Science Magazine @ScienceMagazine 249 K
NEJM @NEJM 177 K
Lancet @TheLancet 111 K
National Cancer Institute @theNCI 51 K
Institute of Medicine @theIOM 31 K
MD Anderson @MDAndersonNews 26 K
ASCO @ASCO 24 K
AACR @AACR 18 K
RSNA @RSNA 14 K
American College of Surgeons @AmCollSurgeons 14 K
Twitter data, March 29, 2014
19. Surgeons on Twitter
Person Institution Twitter Handle Followers
Sanjay Gupta Emory-CNN @drsanjaygupta 1.8 M
Atul Gawande Brigham & Women’s @AtulGawande 85 K
Diane Radford @dianeradfordmd 5985
Deanna Attai @DrAttai 5535
Susan Love @DrSusanLove 4480
David Gorski Karmanos/Wayne State @oracknows 4270
Aaron Cohen Gadol Indiana University @AaronCohenGadol 2415
Tom Varghese, Jr. UW/Seattle CCA @TomVargheseJr 2303
Brian Stork @StorkBrian 2249
Niraj Gusani Penn State @NirajGusani 2068
Stacy Loeb NYU @loebstacy 1619
Matthew Cooperberg UCSF @dr_coops 1576
Twitter data, March 29, 2014
20. Medical Oncology on Twitter
Oncologist Institution Twitter Handle Followers
Steven Eisenberg @drseisenberg 21.9 K
Anas Younes MKSCC @DrAnasYounes 10.1 K
Steven Tucker @drsteventucker 8096
Naoto Ueno MDACC @teamoncology 7708
Michael Fisch MDACC @fischmd 7707
Elaine Schattner Columbia @ElaineSchattner 6764
H. Jack West Swedish Hospital @JackWestMD 5689
Robert Miller JHMI @rsm2800 5483
Mike Thompson Aurora Health @mtmdphd 4849
Robert Orlowski MDACC @Myeloma_Doc 2818
Pervez Dara @JediPD 2351
Wafik El-Deiry Penn State @weldeiry 2178
Don Dizon MGH @drdonsdizon 2232
Julie Gralow U Wash/Seattle CCA @jrgralow 1818
Source: Twitter, 3/29/2014
21. Radiation Oncology on Twitter
Radiation Oncologist Institution Twitter Handle Followers
Shalin Shah MDACC Sugarland @ShalinJShahMD 8416
Matthew Katz @subatomicdoc 7218
Krupali Tejura @krupali 4872
Colin Champ UPMC @CavemanDoctor 2859
Ian Pereira* Kingston (Canada) @IanJohnPereira 1273
Mary Gospodarowicz PMH @marykge 691
Jonathan Livergant* U Toronto @jpil 680
Cary Gross Yale @cpgYALE 580
Leah Minnie Katz NYU @leah_minnie 516
C. Dave Fuller MDACC @cd_fuller 383
Miriam Knoll* Mount Sinai @Mknoll_MD 250
Wally Curran Emory @wallyjc 244
Brandon Mancini* Yale @brandonmancini 200
Source: Twitter, 3/30/2014* Resident
33. Online Search = Privacy Risk
Web surfing may
give your search
information
65% of sites have
at least 1 tracker
35% leaked
information to 3rd
parties
Martin Huesch, JAMA Int Med 2013
37. Doctors are public figures
UK survey of 953 respondents in general public
Professionalism based upon
clinician
workmanship
citizenship
Respondents expect doctors to be:
confident
reliable
composed
accountable
dedicated Chandratilake et al, Clin Med 2010
45. Community or research cohort?
PLM has two peer-reviewed publications on
Parkinsons
Up to 50% of patients develop psychosis
Large cohort had 28% incidence of dementia
by DSM-IV criteria
Does terms of service count as consent?
Fenelon and Alves, J Neurol Sci 2010 http://1.usa.gov/1hiYXG9
Riedel et al, J Neurol 2008 http://1.usa.gov/1jROYqR
46. Wall Street Journal
Published 10/12/2011
http://on.wsj.com/1hU8zDA
• AC Nielsen removes
data from website directly
• “I felt totally violated”
•"We're a business, and the
reality is that someone came
in and stole from us," says
PatientsLikeMe's chairman,
Jamie Heywood.
47. Personal genomics services
Saliva SNPs for detecting risk
of disease
Test for $99
Direct to consumer, no genetic
counseling
Shut down by FDA 11/2013 for not
complying with required testing
Interference with empowered
patient/consumer rights
Direct to Consumer Research
Source: FDA, http://1.usa.gov/1nVOyUt
48. DTC Personal Genomics
No corporate transparency
No evidence test works
Privacy risks
Vague whether genome used for research
Allows children/vulnerable populations to be
tested
No discussion or review with a genetic
counselor
http://bit.ly/18jOCku
51. Ethics in Flux
Newer research models conflict directly
with more traditional interpretation of
Belmont Report, bioethics
HIPAA an issue as well
Do we need to adapt current ethical
frameworks, or how these technologies are
used?
52. Research in an Apomediated World
Subjects can play a more active role in research
How do you regulate “when it is not clear who
the researcher is and who the subject is”
What role for IRBs if done online only?
How can you separate trial recruitment from
solicitation?
Dan O’Connor, J Law Med Ethics 2013
53. Does Autonomy Trump All?
Autonomy favors empowered
patient/consumer rights
Survey of 51, 946 show that patients with
highest satisfaction scores had worse
outcomes than least satisfied
Inpatient hospitalization OR 1.12
Total health expenditures 8.8%
higher
All-cause mortality OR 1.26
Fenton et al, Arch Int Med 2012
56. Oath of Maimonides
“Grant me the strength, time and opportunity
always to correct what I have acquired,
always to extend its domain; for knowledge
is immense and the spirit of man can extend
indefinitely to enrich itself daily with new
requirements.”
58. Relevance to Research
Only 0.04% of published medical research
gets mainstream attention
Social media provides a way to share your
research with patients, caregivers who may
directly benefit
63. Practical
Cancer patients and caregivers are
increasingly online, seeking help and
support
If clinicians and researchers don’t engage,
expect more influence on health decisions
by
Peers and family
Fearmongerers, opportunists
Industry
65. Summary
Social media are pervasive, powerful
communications tools
Rapid adoption in healthcare despite poorly
defined risks and benefits
More connected = more reward and risk
Research is critical to develop safe effective use
in cancer care