22 May 2018
How to grow into your digital presence as a healthcare professional
An expert point of view
Online networks have been influencing everyday lives for the past decade. M Chadi Alraies gives his recommendations on how to safely navigate the digital landscape.
How can social media improve healthcare professionals’ practice?
Social media has changed the way we learn, educate, and interact with each other. Its dynamic and instantaneous nature is rapidly transforming the way we operate in society. Physicians can offer an important perspective on social media. Cardiologists can utilise online platforms to share knowledge and digital health information with both patients and providers. Social media has reshaped how we consume information, and has impacted the dissemination of new science, patient advocacy, and self-promotion in medical literature.
What is the benefit for participating digitally via social media in medical conferences?
Whether passively viewing a conference feed, actively creating live tweets, or commenting on posted tweets, social media users can participate virtually in the new science being shared at #EuroPCR in real time. It has never been easier to remain at work or at home, or in a meeting, and yet retain access to the trials and information being presented at #EuroPCR. Furthermore, you can engage directly with thought-leaders and foster networking opportunities virtually for continued professional growth through social networks.
"Social media is transforming how patients receive information about their health, and by becoming active online we can help regulate health-related information while also sharing our own personal, clinical, or academic expertise."
What do healthcare professionals have to bear in mind when using social media?
There are certain rules that we recommend for health care professionals when using social networks like Twitter. Physicians should be vigilant when posting online, taking time to pause and re-read the content carefully, especially before reposting or retweeting others. Often, we see unfavourable tweets from healthcare professionals during scientific meetings, when new posts appear instantaneously, without having paid due attention to the content. Similarly, when on Twitter, physicians should always maintain patient confidentiality. The practice of sharing images, such as angiograms, can generate great discussion. However, we frequently come across posts that include personal and identifying patient information. Taking the time to crop images and remove all identifiers before posting is imperative.
Key take-home messages
Social media is transforming how patients receive information about their health, and by becoming active online we can help regulate health-related information while also sharing our own personal, clinical, or academic expertise. The integration of social media into cardiologists’ everyday life is an important step towards growing with the digital world, and taking control of one’s medical social media presence.
