To continue on with the Twitter theme of my last post, I found a recent blog titled 140 HealthCare Uses for Twitter.
One of the first suggestions that really caught my attention was the idea of using Twitter for rural area health care communication. A recent study conducted by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that, “Older residents in rural areas are more likely to have any of nine common surgeries than people in cities.” Utilizing Twitter to reach patients in rural areas is definitely a smart idea and one that deserves much more research. From what I have learned in my studies thus far, most people in these populations do not have immediate access to the Internet. With the increase in technology dispersion into rural areas, it will be fascinating to examine what portion of this population would utilize Twitter for health care communications. If patients within rural areas have access to the Internet, well, it would be a fascinating study to look at just how many really people would utilize Twitter for health care communication.
A second suggestion that I found interesting was the idea of using Twitter to broadcast infant care tips to new parents. I like this proposal because most new parents are active seekers of information. They are always checking to make sure they are doing what is best for their child. A normal Google search or even a parenting book can present outdated information, yet a Twitter search can connect them with health care professionals providing information that is current. For example, if a physician tweets that certain baby formulas have been recalled and then provide a link to the actual news story, new parents will be able to receive the information promptly without having to wait for television or radio news to report the recall. Parents will have immediate access to information they seek to find, while having the ability to connect with other new parents. Again, as previously stated, I like this idea because the possibilities for two-way communication and two-way information sharing are endless.
If you have time to read all 140 uses, I suggest you do. I may not personally agree with every suggestion, but overall I like the direction that the health care industry is moving by means of social media. Patient-provider communication and care will no longer be the same because Twitter has changed the ballgame. I am excited to see what other ideas will be added to the Health Care Uses for Twitter list.
All possible avenues to improve the quality of healthcare, especially in rural areas, should be used to their full potential. Great article!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! Hope that you enjoyed it and that you check back over the next few weeks as I continue to blog about social media tools in the health care industry!
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea about using Twitter to help new moms and to post recall information. Your blog is really helping me see the importance of social media in healthcare. Thanks so much for focusing on this!
ReplyDeleteThe use of twitter will only increase in most areas, but the real question will be how rural health care provides find ways to integrate Twitter usage in their patients. I know coming from a small town that technology seems to disseminate much slower, so the true value may be a long time coming. I think it will be beneficial to see how larger cities incorporate Twitter into their practices and then find ways of molding the practice for smaller/older communities. Very interesting blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the comments everyone and glad you are enjoying it!
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