Social media usage in medical practice

There can be many advantages to integrating social media platforms within the practice of medicine.  A detailed understanding of these advantages is needed in order to maximize the benefit.

There are benefits and downsides to incorporating social media in the practice of medicine.  By increasing our understanding of the advantages, we can emphasize those aspects which can positively contribute to healthcare-related social media platforms and associated medical practices.  Increasing the benefits of social media within the practice of medicine can help to offset the potential drawbacks.

While the negative impacts on psychological and physical health related to social media usage have received attention in the medical literature, the advantages to developing a social media platform have also been described.  Recently, Connell et al published an overview of the benefits to incorporating social media within the practice of medicine.  Recognizing that since social media use is already occurring, and ever more commonly, improving our understanding of how to maximize the benefit of social media in this setting becomes important.

Firstly, there is significant benefit to the use of social media for disseminating emerging scientific evidence, increasing collaborations between scientists and healthcare professionals, and further developing knowledge and experience.  Due to the nature of social media, colleagues from all parts of the world are able to access and discuss topics and issues.  There are sites which emphasize case studies and discussion of diagnosis and treatment of rare conditions.  This provides benefit to accumulating experience from around the world, particularly with scientific issues and treatment paradigms that are rapidly emerging.  Not only can these issues be discussed, but treatment strategies can be developed and early results more rapidly disseminated on a widespread basis.  This can provide substantial benefit to patient care by more fully integrating beneficial treatments and avoiding those which are not effective or harmful.  This process is hastened through the use of social media.

The greater reach afforded by social media also makes it possible for scientists and healthcare professionals who may not otherwise be in contact to collaborate and enhance scientific understanding and develop improved treatment paradigms.  Emerging research can be more widely and rapidly distributed through social media than through traditional means.  This allows the latest information to be available to a greater number of professionals.

Secondly, the integration of social media can improve the education of healthcare trainees.  This can occur through engagement with a broader range of potential trainees as well as through distribution of information and knowledge.  A greater and more broad dissemination of medical information and knowledge can be beneficial to trainees and patients alike.

Thirdly, patient care, education, and support can all be enhanced through the integration of social media into the practice of medicine.  Patients can more easily access other individuals with similar conditions, thereby gaining information and support.  Social media can be used to provide the general public with important and emerging health-related information and recommendations.  This can be accomplished more rapidly through the use of social media than with traditional methods.  This includes providing information to underserved populations.  The distribution of health-related information to the general population does come with additional responsibility which healthcare professionals must keep in mind.  Specifically, there is an ethical and moral necessity to provide accurate and understandable information as well as to correct any information which may be incorrect or misleading.  Advocacy can also be accomplished more expeditiously through social media than through traditional means.    Through dissemination of pertinent information and the use of crowd funding, the goals of advocacy and fund raising can be realized more quickly and, perhaps, on a larger scale through the incorporation of social media.

There are professionalism related considerations about which healthcare professionals must remain cognizant.  In this regard, Connell et al recommend emphasizing evidence, acknowledging and describing limitations in knowledge and potential bias, ensuring respect for others while engaging on platforms, maintenance of confidentiality of personal health information, and development of appropriate boundaries between healthcare professionals and patients.

In addition to the described benefits of incorporating social media in the practice of medicine, it is also possible to utilize healthcare-related platforms to increase patient access to clinical care and, thereby, promote and develop the clinical business model.  At House Call Media, we provide healthcare trained social media management and evidence-driven content development to meet each of these goals.

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REFERENCE

Connell NT, Weyand AC, Barnes GD.  Use of Social Media in the Practice of Medicine.  Am J Med 2022; 135(2): 138-140.