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Social media. Why … and howPat Rich (@cmaer)

Nov. 28, 2013

Regina

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My life on Twitter

• Social media staff resource at CMA

• Monitors and writes on health IT development

• Monitors Twitter on a continuous basis

• 3100+ followers and follows 2000

• Interacts with MD peer leaders in social media on daily basis

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Social media is BAD

In a newly revised policy statement released today, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents make a media plan for their families that takes into account not only the quantity, but the quality and location of media used, and includes mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices. It also encourages keeping all screen media (TVs, computers, tablets, etc.) out of kids' bedrooms.

USA Today, Oct. 28

“Social media is dangerous for kids, so we can’t model it.”

Conversation with CHEO Communications Director Ann Fuller about attitudes of some senior staff at her hospital

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Not so fast

Clinical research published by American Academy of Pediatrics showing social media can have beneficial impact on children and adolescents

Ongoing discussions in social media have documented the ability of the tools to raise awareness about mental health issues (e.g. #stigma) and to provide patients with mental health issues with secure, online communities to provide support

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Turning back the clock?

can’t be done

must accept social media use by children and adolescents is here to stay

best to encourage others to use appropriately

Wh

at is

So

cial

Med

ia?

Extension of every day interaction Conversations & exchange of information Communities of shared interest Tools for innovation Integrates technology

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CMA epanel survey – Attitudes towards social media

Use of social media

90% Poses professional and legal risks to physicians

55% Increases public knowledge about health issues

57% Helps patients gain a sense of community by sharing with other

55% Increases public knowledge about health issues

53% Provides platforms for better peer-to-peer sharing of medical information and insights

39% Is of little value in day-to-day medical practice

30% Permits patients and physicians to share information in a collaborative way

22% Helps physicians provide better care more efficiently

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Canadian Psychiatric Association annual meeting - 2011

“Physicians should maintain a high level of professionalism in all aspects of life. He likened the online community to a small town in which a physician must always maintain a certain decorum.”

“…for all physicians, social media are tools that can be used to improve communication and knowledge translation. For example, he said, clinical narratives (posted without identifying the patient) can promote reflection and a greater understanding of the physician–patient relationship.”

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▸ Blog post

▸ Why depression has made me a better doctor - Dr. Ronan Kavanagh

▸ http://www.ronankavanagh.ie/blog/why-depression-has-made-me-a-better-doctor/

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Yes, there is an app for that

Mental Health Engagement Network – London, ON

- 400 pts with mood or psychotic disorders

- iPhone, PHR, tools to manage health

- Mood monitor to track mood in real time electronically

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Dr. Gail Beck

Ottawa child psychiatrist

Tweets (@gailyentabeck)

Blogs

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An expert Canadian physician voice

Dr. Ali Jalali, teaching chair, faculty of medicine, University of Ottawa

Why consider social media?

To stay informed Communicate (engage) with peers and patients Disseminate information Advocate for/against something Because if you decide not to use social media, your

decision should be based on sound knowledge about what you are choosing not to use

Why consider social media II(graduate class)

For public health purposes (e.g. tracking epidemics or spread of new pathogens)

As learning tools in medical education To show your clinical technique on YouTube To deliver clinical care!!!

Dipping your foot in

Search for yourself on Google Open a Twitter account (takes 5 minutes) Post a LinkedIn profile View an instructional video on YouTube Join an online community Follow a #hcsmca session (Wed. 1pm EST) Start an RSS feed

Reasons not to use social media

Time-consuming Don’t understand the technology Not paid for it At risk for legal or professional consequences Not interested in what others have to say, or in

communicating with people using these media

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Twitter in 3 slides - Why consider it

To collect information To connect with peers – locally and globally To connect with subject experts To advocate on important (to you) issues To recruit patients for studies To join discussions To follow conference activities To report on conference activities

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Twitter in 3 slides – What is it?

A microblogging site (140-character maximum) A self-contained community where you choose who to follow -- but not

who follows you (although you can block people) A real-time information source

Twitter in 3 slides - essentials

Setting up a profile takes less than 5 minutes Be transparent about who you are Perfectly OK to just follow others until comfortable

tweeting If a personal account state that views are your own Twitter is a public space – think before you Tweet

be courteous and don’t Tweet when angry Hashtags (#) are your friend Use Twitter tools (Tweetdeck of Hootsuite) to

organize information

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The Boundary FallacyKeeping a boundary between professional and personal life on social media is “operationally impossible, lacking in-agreement among active physician social media users, inconsistent with the concept of professional identity, and potentially harmful to physician and patients.”

Rather than eliminating boundaries and “suggesting anything goes,” physicians should just ask themselves whether what they are posting on social media is appropriate for a physician in a public space – with the issue of the content being professional or personal being irrelevant.

“Social Media and Physicians’ Online Identity Crisis” published in JAMA, Aug. 14 (v.310, no: 6, 581-582).