The use of social media in healthcare

The use of social media in healthcare

The Deliverables for this Paper Include:

1. A well-developed 4-5-page paper that conforms with APA guidelines. Your paper must include a title page, running head and references page (this is in addition to your 4-5-page paper). Please reference at least 3 professional journals and 3 websites.
2. After reading the above statistics on the use and impact of social media in healthcare, you will conduct your own literature review and provide a reflection on both the positive and negative impact that social media has had on:

The overall field of healthcare; the way patients now obtain medical information and emotional support; the patient-provider relationship; patient engagement; the implications of providers obtaining/referring medical information for their patients; the possible use of social media in hospital outreach to specific populations; and the role of federal, state and local public health agencies in governing social media’s use in healthcare.

3. You will need to have the following sections as headings in your paper (except for the introduction which does not need a heading):

Introduction (no heading)

– This is where you describe the impact social media has had on the overall field of healthcare including the manner that patients obtain medical information and emotional support.

Impact of Social Media on Patient-Provider Relationships

Impact of Social Media on Patient Engagement

Implications of Providers Obtaining Medical Information from Social Media sites

Possible Use of Social Media in Hospital Outreach to Populations

Role of Government in the Use of Social Media in Healthcare

Conclusion

Examples of Social Media Sites Include:

1. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin

2. Collaborative projects such as Wikis (like Wikipedia), social bookmarking applications (like Mendeley)

3. Blogs or microblogs such as WordPress, Twitter (microblog)

4. Content-generated online/virtual communities such as Book Crossing, Flickr, YouTube, Slideshare

5. Virtual gaming or social worlds such as Second Life, Shadow health

Impact of Social Media on Healthcare Field

The use of social media by healthcare consumers has risen rapidly over the past 5 – 10 years. In 2005, only 5% of healthcare consumers in the U.S used a social media platform. By 2011, that percentage had risen to 50%, and in 2018, over 78% of consumers use some type of social media multiple times per day (http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/). The implications this has on the healthcare industry is staggering when you consider that of all the users who participate in social media, 80% are searching for health information (http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/). Social media has so greatly influenced the opinions and interactions of both patients and providers, that the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics has described it as an ‘innovative and disruptive force within the healthcare field’. (https://www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/health-research-institute/publications/health-care-social-media.html; http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/).

Impact on Patient Engagement

A 2014 systematic review of the literature published in the Informatics Journal, reported how both video and text-based social media are used and perceived by patients. Their review found that social media can support patient empowerment, engagement, and build communities

Impact (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1460458213476969).

Impact on Providers

A 2016 survey (https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-016-0327-y ) of the role of social media for providers found that over 76% of them used social media for career advancement, a means to stay current with the latest literature and for immediate healthcare information for patients. The use of social media by providers brings about a whole new set of potential issues including patient privacy concerns, professionalism, breach of contract between providers and other entities, as well as, possibly incorrect healthcare information. On the other hand, 80% of providers felt that having access to social media enhanced their level of patient care.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN, 2011) has collaborated with the ANA to develop specific guidelines for the use of social media by nurses. See www.ncsbn.org/Social_Media.pdf to read a white paper discussing common misconceptions about social media, consequences for breaching confidentiality using social media, guidelines for appropriate use of social media, and case scenarios with discussion.

BOOK: Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge