It turns out Twitter could be good for your health. Social media initiatives that allow doctors, patients, and researchers share patient information can improve the quality of care and drive down costs, a new report found.
The report, published by the Healthcare Performance Management Institute, took a look at several case studies that showed how the Health 2.0 initiatives were promoting better patient outcomes and cost efficiencies, InformationWeek reported.
"The new collaborative technologies and Twitter-like Internet connectivity tools foster a collaborative environment that allows organizations - and the people who work in them - to gain much greater control over many important healthcare factors,"
.
For example, the Point to Point (P2P) Healthcare program offered by Healthcare Interactive and WellNet Healthcare combines a repository for storing and analyzing medical data with an online social network that links the company's employees with their providers.
The programs can benefit patients, as well as physicians, "because communication and collaboration with their patients and peers enables better treatment outcomes," the report states.
This news might come as no surprise for many in the healthcare community already engaging in social networks (particularly those in the e-patient movement). But considering that a majority of physicians don't connect online with their patients or colleagues, there are clearly barriers to fully realizing the power of social media.
The concerns we most often hear about engaging online and through social networks revolve around time, reimbursement, and security. Why spend uncompensated time engaging online? And are you opening yourself up to liabilities when connecting with patients? Those attitudes tend to be shifting, as physicians realize the increase in efficiencies that can come with online networking and information sharing (and in some cases payers are catching up). And often, the security fears are unfounded or can be solved with encrypted systems and new processes.
What's holding you back from diving into these Health 2.0 initiatives? Or, if you're a believer, tell us about it.
Social Media Cuts Costs, Improves Outcomes
It turns out Twitter could be good for your health. Social media initiatives that allow doctors, patients, and researchers share patient information can improve the quality of care and drive down costs, a new report found.
It turns out Twitter could be good for your health. Social media initiatives that allow doctors, patients, and researchers share patient information can improve the quality of care and drive down costs, a new report found.
The report, published by the Healthcare Performance Management Institute, took a look at several case studies that showed how the Health 2.0 initiatives were promoting better patient outcomes and cost efficiencies, InformationWeek reported.
"The new collaborative technologies and Twitter-like Internet connectivity tools foster a collaborative environment that allows organizations - and the people who work in them - to gain much greater control over many important healthcare factors,"
.
For example, the Point to Point (P2P) Healthcare program offered by Healthcare Interactive and WellNet Healthcare combines a repository for storing and analyzing medical data with an online social network that links the company's employees with their providers.
The programs can benefit patients, as well as physicians, "because communication and collaboration with their patients and peers enables better treatment outcomes," the report states.
This news might come as no surprise for many in the healthcare community already engaging in social networks (particularly those in the e-patient movement). But considering that a majority of physicians don't connect online with their patients or colleagues, there are clearly barriers to fully realizing the power of social media.
The concerns we most often hear about engaging online and through social networks revolve around time, reimbursement, and security. Why spend uncompensated time engaging online? And are you opening yourself up to liabilities when connecting with patients? Those attitudes tend to be shifting, as physicians realize the increase in efficiencies that can come with online networking and information sharing (and in some cases payers are catching up). And often, the security fears are unfounded or can be solved with encrypted systems and new processes.
What's holding you back from diving into these Health 2.0 initiatives? Or, if you're a believer, tell us about it.
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Storytelling to connect with your patients
The Narrative Medicine movement at Columbia Medical School believes that using stories increases empathy, enhances wellness and resilience, and promotes a more humanistic healthcare culture.
Asset Protection and Financial Planning
Asset protection attorney and regular Physicians Practice contributor Ike Devji and Anthony Williams, an investment advisor representative and the founder and president of Mosaic Financial Associates, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on high-earner assets and financial planning, impending tax changes, common asset protection and wealth preservation mistakes high earners make, and more.
Strategies to grow your medical practice
Growth has its risks, but the right strategy can deliver stability, security, and long-term profits.
Reducing burnout with medical scribes
Physicians Practice® spoke with Fernando Mendoza, MD, FAAP, FACEP, the founder and CEO of Scrivas, LLC, about the rising rates of reported burnout among physicians and how medical scribes might be able to alleviate some pressures from physicians.
The frog in the boiling water and health care
We fail to recognize the danger because we're reluctant to rethink the situation or the heat increases so slowly that we fail to recognize the danger ahead.
Second half success: Texting to power patient volume
A highly effective and efficient way to engage with patients in danger of missing their recommended preventive services is text messaging.