Is Social Media Replacing Visits to the Doctor?

Social media is rapidly gaining ground in all walks of life, but never more evident than in the world of medicine.  Doctors, nurses and patients are becoming more and more in tune with different social venues to gain and share knowledge.  I want to give special recognition and thanks to; Judy Terry, an “HIM Consultant” and guest blogger for her unique perspective on how social media is affecting our world.

Are you one of those people who would rather get a medical diagnosis using Facebook rather than going to the doctor?  More and more people are using Facebook to diagnose their medical symptoms.  Recently a child was diagnosed with Kawasaki’s Disease through pictures and a description of symptoms to friends on Facebook.  Several victims of a Legionellosis outbreak diagnosed themselves with the illness through Facebook before the CDC could even confirm the outbreak.  In some ways it isn’t much different than the way information was shared in the old days except it is much faster!  Our mothers shared many “tried and true” cures and “old wives tales” with friends over the backyard fence or at the grocery store.  It just took longer for the information to get across town than it does today.

There are some obvious dangers to be aware of in using social networks to diagnose your signs and symptoms.  Most of these are obvious.  First of all, the information could be unreliable or just plain incorrect. It could also be correct for some people but not for you.  It is always smart to make sure your sources are reliable with legitimate medical backgrounds.  Some Facebook users have actually “friended” their physicians and communicate with them online.  This may or may not be a wise thing to do.  The British Medical Association has advised its doctors not to be Facebook "friends" with their patients.  Doing so can jeopardize privacy as well as the appropriate boundaries between a patient and physician.  Blogging, however, may have a more important role to play in patient care.  Physicians are blogging about healthcare issues and educating their patients through social media.  This can be extremely helpful to others looking for help

If you do decide to Facebook “friend” your doctor, here are 5 things NOT to do:

1. Don’t type anything you wouldn’t want your employer or grandma to see.
2. Be respectful.
3. Be careful of privacy issues.  Sometimes system glitches may allow other Facebook users to read live chats or other messages.
4. Beware of phonies.  Not everything you read on the internet is true, even though we all know that Al Gore was the inventor!
5. Don’t put your doctor on the spot by asking personal health questions on Facebook.

Bottom line is…have some boundaries in your social conversations and remember that there is always an electronic record somewhere on some server that could come back to haunt you at a later date.  Exchanging information is empowering. Having a clear understanding of how social media works to benefit your life is more empowering.

If you are having any type of challenge in the realm of social media then contact us.  We are here to help you...from learning the basics of navigating Facebook to more technical needs like blog design and creating that social “buzz”.  What are you waiting for…contact us now as there is never a more empowering time than right now!

Yours In Success & Spiritual Empowerment…

The Empowered Entrepreneurial Magnets