Social media has been one of the most innovative tools in today’s generation. From its ability to connect people instantly from different time zones to the vast amount of information that it can spread in the course of minutes, it has shown promising utility. With that said, however, there are obstacles and negative impacts of social media that has been portrayed in the news time after time.
One of the main concerns for the use of social media is patient privacy. There are numerous instances when patient identifying information has been used on social media platforms which violates patient privacy. With that said, can social media analytics and trending be used for research purposes? Could be useful for starting healthcare-related campaigns and educational modules that would benefit our country’s patients? A common attitude among healthcare providers after some research seems to be that if used for professional and academic use, social media can be helpful in the field of healthcare.
I would have to agree with this current attitude. I believe that patient confidentiality should be the utmost priority, however, we can still use medical data obtained through ethical methods for teaching and research purposes. I am thankful that I attend an institution that continuously reminds us to maintain patient confidentiality, especially as it pertains to social media so that we are able to maintain these habits as future physicians.
What are your thoughts regarding social media in healthcare? Comment down below!
