There has been a lot of buzz around how medical device and pharmaceutical brands are starting to explore social media. To see social media in action though, you may only need to look as far as a local hospital. In the United States, there are more than 360 hospitals actively using social media tools. As a group they have 186 YouTube channels and have created 267 Twitter accounts. Some real-world examples include:
- A patient being treated for a rare carcinoid cancer shared her experience via YouTube which generated enough requests for the surgery for a hospital to open a monthly clinic for the condition.
- Children's Hospital Boston launched the first health and science blog from a pediatric hospital called Thrive.
- A hospital near Detroit used Twitter to connect with almost 2,000 people to answer questions during brain surgery on a 47-year-old patient.
To read more about how hospitals are incorporating social media and why it matters, continue here.
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You probably use email, Facebook and instant messenger to connect with friends and family. Have you considered those methods of communication for talking to your doctor? Recent studies suggest that patients are interested in new ways of communicating with their healthcare providers. A Manhattan Research study showed that 5 percent of respondents had sent or received an email from a healthcare provider and 49 percent were interested in email as a form of patient-doctor communication in the future. Another survey by Deloitte Center for Health Solutions found that 55 percent of consumers want to be able to communicate with their healthcare providers via email.
Continue reading to learn how a former NBA player communicates electronically with his doctor and the pros and cons of friending your doctor.
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Although many infection headlines are related to hospitals, individual doctor's offices are facing similar challenges. Almost 30 cases of hepatitis B were recently tied to one doctor's office in New Jersey. When health inspectors visited the office they found blood on the floor of a room where chemotherapy was administered, blood in a bin where blood vials were stored, unsterile saline and gauze as well as open medication vials. Inspectors also noticed cross-contamination of pens, refrigerators and countertops, use of contaminated gloves and misuse of antiseptics.
Patients were sent a letter from state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Chan urging testing for hepatitis B. "Evidence gathered at this time suggests that since 2002, some clinic staff provided care in a manner that puts patients at risk for infection caused by bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis B," the letter told patients. "The investigation to date suggests that hepatitis B infections identified may be associated with the method by which medications were administered and procedures performed at the practice."
Numerous checklists and recommendations have been published around infection control. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases and Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine offers these infection control musts:
- Hand washing
- Barrier precautions to prevent skin and mucous membrane exposure
- Proper handling of sharps and contaminated waste
- Appropriate cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and equipment
- Aseptic technique for invasive procedures
For the full recommendation on infection control in physician's offices, click here.
To read more about the hepatitis B outbreak in New Jersey, continue reading here.
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A recent report issued by Manhattan Research found that 64% of doctors are using smartphones - iPhones, Blackberrys, Treos or other hand-held devices which provide wireless Internet access and mobile applications. This percentage is more than double what it was just eight years ago. Physicians are using smart phones to access drug and clinical references as well as utilize tools such as dosage calculators.
Industry leaders envision a future of technology-driven healthcare with smartphones as an integral component. "Primarily, the work flow you are going to enter into as a provider at the point of care, in front of the patient, will be done on a device like the iPhone. [A] desktop, laptop, keyboard is pretty much not going to work if you want to do things quickly and do things at the point of care," said Tom Giannulli, MD in an interview on amednews.com. Giannulli is an internist in California who developed the first stand-alone Electronic Medical Record for the iPhone which launched in September 2008. To read more about how mobile technology is being used in healthcare, continue here.
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According to researchers, middle-aged men with traditional beliefs about masculinity are less likely to seek routine medical treatment. A recent study included 1,000 white, middle-aged men from Wisconsin who had completed high school. The men were given a survey which asked questions about their beliefs in masculinity and whether they had received recommended healthcare including annual physicals, prostate exams and flu shots. The research found that men with the strongest belief in masculinity were 50 percent less likely to get the recommended medical care than other men. To learn more about the study and see comments from the researchers, click here.
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The relationships that develop between patients and healthcare providers are interesting ones. Being sick or injured forces a person to divulge a detailed health history to a complete stranger. When a person is thrust into the healthcare process nurses are the most consistent presence, following patients from admission to discharge. By establishing the right tone of caring, a nurse can provide a patient with a much-needed source of understanding and comfort. Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA utilizes a Care Delivery Model that demonstrates commitment to patient care. To see the model and learn more, click
here.
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Hint of Plum
Could that rash on your child's face be chicken pox? Is the discomfort in your chest the early signs of a heart attack or just indigestion from over indulging in Chinese food? According to recent report released by the
Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and the California Healthcare Foundation, 61 percent of American adults are searching online for medical advice and information.
While many people are busy Googling their latest ailment, the Internet places third (tied with books) behind going to the doctor and talking to friends or family members for medical advice. For more on the study, continue reading
here.
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jonlarge