Kayla Matthews

Despite the growing popularity of cannabis for both medical and recreational use among the general population, it is still a touchy subject for medical professionals.	

If patients are asking questions about medical cannabis and its benefits, here are some tips to help physicians navigate the questions and get patients the answers that they need.

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Cannabis is still a touchy subject for medical professionals. As a result, it can be intimidating for patients to ask for information. 

Medical marijuana: 9 questions physicians get asked

Social media is an enormous part of our lives - Facebook has more than 

 per month, and Twitter has upwards of 300 million active users in the same amount of time. In spite of this massive social media immersion, these platforms haven't seen much penetration within the medical industry. How can doctors use social media to better interact with their patients while improving the care they provide?

Social media can be useful for simple administrative tasks, such as posting office hours and appointment availability. For existing patients, social media can link to appointment scheduling software or websites, or secure websites where they can log in to view their medical information.

For new patients, the convenience of being able to find office hours or a contact number could be the difference between making an appointment at one doctor's office instead of another. Medical practices that put the effort into keeping social media pages and profiles up to date with office contact information and hours may see more patients coming in.

Taking this concept even further, social messaging apps and telemedicine websites make it possible for patients to receive treatments for any number of health issues, 

without the need for face-to-face appointments

People turn to social media for everything from questions about their favorite businesses to answers about medical symptoms and financial queries. More people 

get breaking news updates from social media

 than from news outlets. In fact, in 2016, 62 percent of U.S. adults said they consumed news through social media, with 18 percent of adults saying they rely on social media for news "often."

Medical professionals can capitalize on social media users by providing accurate information through sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Some good examples of doctors already doing this are Dr. Sandra Lee, a dermatologist in West Los Angeles, and Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon in New York.

, where she showcases various dermatological procedures, from blackhead removal to skin cancer surgery. Her videos also focus on skin health and are a great resource for individuals concerned about their skin.

Luks has a following on multiple social media sites, though most of his followers are on Twitter. He also uploads 

 to YouTube that explain various orthopedic injuries and offers information about both traditional and innovative treatment options for common injuries.

For individuals who need support for their condition or diagnosis, social media can be an invaluable tool. Especially for people who want to seek help anonymously, social platforms have become 

Because apps and social media platforms are so convenient, they're often an easy way for people to start seeking treatment, even if that seeking is as simple as reading forums or following specific social accounts.

As a patient, sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to get in touch with your doctor, especially when you just need to ask a quick question or have something you're concerned about.

Social media could provide a new level of interaction between medical professionals and their patients. Even if doctors can't be accessible all day long due to a highly demanding schedule, there are a variety of ways they can use social media to interact with patients, including:

•Office hours - Set up scheduled hours to answer questions directed at a Facebook or Twitter page.

•Social media team - Doctors who receive a lot of traffic on social media sites may want to consider designating a staff person to respond to postings.

Social platforms provide a good way for doctors to keep in touch with patients, and potentially bring new patients into the office at the same time. Though the Internet obviously isn't a medium for sharing private patient information, it's ideal for general Q&A-type conversations.

Promoting New Research or Relevant Information

Medical practices may not seem like an industry that lends itself to social media promotions, but depending on a practice's the specialty, it can be a great way to bring in patients.

For example, with something seasonal like flu shots, a doctor's office can post to their various social media pages to encourage preventive care. That little reminder not only helps bring patients in, but ensures patients and followers stay healthy throughout flu season.

Social media is growing every day - it's hard to find a business now that doesn't have some form of social media presence.

Healthcare professionals can take their medical practice to the next level by taking advantage of established social platforms to reach patients, and potential patients, where they already are. 

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From finding new patients to interacting with current ones, social media can help a doctor improve the patient experience. 

5 Ways Physicians Can Use Social Media 

Electronic Health Records (EHR), are a useful tool to help doctors and nurses provide comprehensive care to their patients. These records enable patient records to be updated and tracked from a variety of locations. They can also send electronic prescriptions from hospitals and other medical offices to the patient's pharmacy.

EHR may also be a weapon against over-prescribing certain medications. With the growing opioid epidemic spreading across the country, medical professionals and law enforcement are looking for innovative ways to reduce the number of opioid addicts. How can EHRs help prevent the growing threat of addiction to controlled substances like opioids?

Americans use more prescription opioids than any other country in the world. 

Roughly 80% of the planet's opioid supply

 is prescribed and used in the United States. In 2012 it was estimated that 

 in the U.S. suffered from a form of substance abuse disorder related directly to prescription opioids, and fatalities from heroin overdose were close to 30,000 annually. Another concern is that 

 started with an addition to prescription painkillers.

This number has only grown in the intervening years, though the exact numbers are difficult to track because many people suffering from addiction don't seek help or treatment for their substance abuse.

Adopting new technology takes time, but the rates of EHR adoption are on the rise. As of January 2016, 

 reported using an EHR system in their offices. The number is slightly lower than the year before, but that is mostly because the number of providers surveyed in 2016 was much higher than the previous year. This includes participating pharmacies as well.

Electronic prescriptions for controlled substances require extra checks and balances before a prescription can be processed. The prescriber has to be qualified to prescribe certain controlled substances, and those qualifications can be revoked.

 that can be tracked. This is one of the most important tools to help prevent illegitimate opioid prescriptions from being processed. This paper trail helps discourage chronic "doctor shopping," the practice of changing doctors frequently to find someone who is willing to prescribe painkillers.

Stricter regulations and detailed electronic records are the first steps toward countering the growing number of opioid addictions.

While EHRs are a phenomenal tool, they are not enough to counter the number of opioid addictions. This is why many states have implemented prescription drug monitoring processes, or PDMPs. This close monitoring has 

reduced the number of opioid prescriptions

 in states where they have been implemented by nearly 41 percent.

Changes in policy have affected the number of opioid prescriptions. Previously, people seeking an opioid prescription could visit a hospital to obtain a prescription for their painkiller of choice. 

 have recognized the dangers of such policies and have taken action to prevent how much and what kinds of opioid patients can be prescribed. Other states 

 will make it more difficult for patients to be prescribed opiates by requiring all opioid prescriptions to be preauthorized by the state's Medicaid program.

Patients being discharged from the emergency department are given no more than a few days' supply of a short-acting opioid, and any prescription for larger amounts of opioid painkillers require the prescribing physician check with the states PDMP.

By enabling both medical professionals and law enforcement officers to keep track of prescriptions of controlled substances, PDMPs have allowed public institutions to take the first steps in reducing the number of opioid addictions in the United States.

Implementing the use of electronic health records universally throughout the medical community is only the beginning. EHRs allow the medical community to keep track of records and prescriptions as well as flag problems areas for opioid abuse. Once they have been universally implemented, these EHRs can also be used to predict trends including substance abuse statistics.

By adopting predictive analytics, or the application of machine learning algorithms to the data collected by these EHRs, the medical community could predict variables such as the kind of people who, based on their genetics, demographics or other information, might be susceptible to substance abuse.

Predictive analytics won't provide specific information that allows an individual to be identified, but they could provide risk factors that medical professionals can be on the lookout for.

EHRs are one of the most vital tools for providing accurate and efficient care for patients across the country. If used correctly, they could also be the most important weapons in our fight against opioid substance abuse.

Kayla Matthews is a health IT writer and blogger, who contributes to BioMed Central, VentureBeat, The Huffington Post and Kareo’s Go Practice Blog. To read more posts from Kayla, follow her on her blog, 

If used properly, EHRs can help prevent the opioid epidemic from continuing to grow by managing prescription documents.

Author | Kayla Matthews

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