In today’s time social media is major part of everyone’s daily life. For instance, “people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook” (Lawrence, 2012). This demonstrates that social media has a major influence on an individual’s life. Not only is social media having an influence over individuals, it is also influencing the way society communicates. For example, communication was once through phone calls or by mail, but now communication is being executed through various form of social media such as, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Tumbler, etc. In addition to social media being used for communication, smartphones are also contributing to this as well. Furthermore, smartphones can be used to access the web when there is no internet. …show more content…
Social media and smartphones allow for better communication between health care employees, peers, and patients because they provide multiple ways for each party to communicate with each other. For healthcare workers to communicate with each other, social media platforms such as, Linkedln, which is a professional site that allows healthcare professionals to network with each other (Miller, 2011). Other sites that healthcare professionals can network through are Facebook and Myspace. Having these social media platforms allows for healthcare workers to connect and share their thoughts with each other. Not only does it help coworkers communicate with each other, it also allows healthcare workers to communicate with patients. For example, patients can access social media platforms for information concerning their condition. By having these social media platforms, it allows for various ways patients can have access to health information. Besides social media providing another form of communication between healthcare workers and patients, it is also a resource tool. Social media allows you to research for information that is needed, similar to professional sites, which can also be used for networking and as a resource tool. According to Gitelman, Lindsay, and Weaver (2012), these networks can be used to obtain and share information (para. 2). By using these professional sites, the sites can help educate
Social media rules our world today and provides instant resources that keep us informed and connected. Advancement in technology has provided multiple resources and valuable information that is literally available at one’s fingertips. The availability of information is endless and provides for fast, more effective learning within the nursing and medical world. There is mass skepticism and question within the nursing environment regarding the use of technology, whether it is via cell phone use, computer, laptop, or internet usage. There is a serious concern regarding HIPAA laws, patient privacy acts, and the legalities tied to an individual’s rights while under medical care.
It is no secret as to how fast social media has grown over the past decade between helping connect with long lost friends and family on Facebook, getting your resume out to others through LinkedIn, sharing a video on YouTube, or even just letting off some steam on Twitter, hard to believe that so much of this we see in our day to day lives can be creating such a controversy within the Health Care System. Most of these sites listed are made into little convenient applications on majority of the populations smart phones that can be helpful as well as distracting (Gill, Kamath, & Gill, 2012).
According to Steven Waldern, director of the American Academy of Family Physicians Center for Health IT, social media has taken a toll on the healthcare industry. Patients are now interacting with patients that are going through a social media site, Patients like me. This site is used to improve the patient’s outcome, connect patients with one another, and enable research. This website has secure portals to ensure that patient information is kept personal or with only healthcare providers. (Hartford, 2012)
Communication has been permanently changed by social media. A wide conceptual definition of social media, as cited in Ressler & Glazer (2010), is “The online and mobile accessible services that enable individuals to connect, collaborate, and share with others in real time.” Social media has an obvious influence on informal communication style and represents both possibility and liability for healthcare institutions. As cited in Bernhardt, Alber, & Gold (2014), “Social media provide healthcare professionals with tools to share information, to debate health care policy and practice issues, to promote health behaviors, to engage with the public, and to educate and interact with patients, caregivers, students, and colleagues.” It also presents challenges, including risks to information accuracy, organizational reputation, and individual privacy. Social media can be a very helpful in communicating among nurses and other healthcare providers while creating professional connections, and sharing experiences, but guidelines for appropriate use by healthcare providers are essential. Whether or not certain healthcare organization decides to use social media as a communications tool - social media policy still need to be implemented. Policies help establish an organization 's rules and expectations around social media.
Moreover, social media can be very beneficial to patients suffering from chronic conditions as well as their family and friends (Norton & Strauss, 2013). For rare diseases local community support groups may not be available. Social media steps in to fill this void by offering users a variety of different online support groups, blogs, newsletters, and networks. Individuals can use such resources to reach out to others with similar issues, find much needed support during difficult times, and become aware of treatments and medications that worked for others with their same illness that may prompt them to contact their doctor about other possibilities in treatment options. When used properly, smartphones and social media can be very beneficial to healthcare providers and patients.
Social media in hospitals can affect the patient as well as the nurse and the nursing student. Westrick states: “Nurses must find a balance between taking advantage of the benefits social media use
While using social media can be valuable to doctors and nurses, inappropriate use of these tools can be devastating to a health professional career. Here are some examples
The researchers believe that social media should be embraced in healthcare to improve communication as it will continue to grow and become more relevant to consumers. There are only a few regulations in place so there needs to be a balance from healthcare professionals if they decide to get involved. Questions to be asked, what are some appropriate uses for some of these channels? Does the type of content matter? Are some social media channels better than others?
Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., &Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social media and young adults. Pew
In this assessment I will explore and examine; what it means to be a health professional in a global environment. Furthermore, I will demonstrate a range of literacies that inform health care and practice. I will also briefly describe how I currently use and engage with social media and technology as well as how my use of social media will change my role as a nursing student and future health care professional. I will be discussing guidelines and code of conducts created by various corporations. I will then finally conclude my findings by discussing my discoveries and understanding of the use of social media. In this assignment I will be examining secondary sources such as books, articles, peer reviewed journals, and textbooks.
The use of social media for purposes of communication in healthcare contexts has been growing and increasingly becoming acceptable. Specifically, health organizations, health professionals, patients, and members of the general public have been using social media for various purposes within a healthcare setting. Based on this understanding and lack of knowledge of the impact of social media on interpersonal communication in a healthcare context, future research needs to explore the effects of social media on quality of interpersonal communication and the extent to which it impacts healthcare
The ‘White Paper’ states that “social media can benefit health care in a variety of ways, including fostering professional connections, promoting timely communication with patients and family members, and educating and informing consumers and health care professionals.” (reference)
Social media encompasses online tools used by individuals and organizations, where networking and relationships between the two can be developed (QUT Mopp). User-generated content, including experiences, opinions and information (presented in many forms) can be shared for connecting and collaborating purposes (Social media policy). In the nursing profession, the interaction between nurse and patient through online tools provides many opportunities.
At the same time, health care organizations find challenges in adopting social media. Hospital and medical practices are risk adverse and generally cautious about new technology trends without clear value. There are questions about whether social media use by hospital employees is a waste of time, or even worse, presents risks of violating HIPAA or leaking proprietary information. Hospital IT departments are concerned about security risks, such as the use of tinyurl.com, which can mask malicious Web sites. Privacy concerns, particularly the vulnerability of social media accounts, are also cited as a reason to avoid social media. (John Sharp 2010).
Physicians pride themselves in being lifelong learners; therefore, it has been imperative for them to adopt the novel technologies and use them for more effective patient care. Additionally, in this “digital age” patients and healthcare providers are readily able to gather and share healthcare information using social media (Chretien et al, 2013). They are likewise capable to obtain support through discussion groups and forums, and chronicle their illness journeys. Collectively, these changes have led to the establishment of the social healthcare, where in which social media and mobile technologies are widely applied in the health care area. This change is driven by the need for better patient care and information sharing among healthcare providers and patients.