Is Social Media the Rock’n'Roll of HealthCare?

Social (digital) Media is expanding at an unerring rate, penetrating each and every darkened interstice with shafts of sharing light and goodwill…at least that’s how it seems.

I feel uplifted by the collaborative essence of digital media purveying altruistic ideals and radiating a positive energy throughout the medical community. Even Australia is beginning to embrace the social media revolution. (History of Australian web [Reference])

But is it Rock’n'Roll?

The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it a widespread social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll  influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language.

Over the last month there has been an explosion in health related posts and presentations trying to determine the role that social and digital media will have in healthcare. Unlike the 50′s and 60′s when the adult population denounced Rock’n'Roll as the ‘work of the devil‘, this current social maelstrom appears to be being embraced more warmly by the current ‘older generation‘

Our roving reporter Dr Ciaran Henry takes a closer look at social media implementation strategies in the healthcare workplace…

Hospitals cracking down on Social Media in the workplace

• Why can’t I pick the technology I use in the office? [Reference]
• Hospital Marketing: Facebook wins the engagement battle [Reference]
• Companies Starting to Let Employees Pick Their Own Technology [Reference]
  

Legal aspects of social media in the workplace

• Can the law keep up with technology? [Reference]
• Rulings Address Defamation on Interactive Sites, in E-Mail [Reference]

Options for Digital Social Media

• 5 Impressive real life Google wave use cases [Reference]
• Healthcare’s Google-Facebook-Twitter Platform [Reference]

Prioritize Your Social Media Efforts

• How to manage your time [Reference]
• 9 Guiding Principles [Reference]
• Online Social Networking Strategies, Techniques and Best Practice for Building Your Presence on the Web [Reference]

Social media, who is using it?

• British doctors predict online will be the future for medical information [Reference]
• One in five Internet users are now on Twitter or another status update service [Reference]
• Your Company May Own Your Tweets, Pokes, and YouTube Videos [Reference]
• Six Social Media Trends for 2010 [Reference]
• Over 400 Hospitals use Social Media [Reference]
• How Gen-Y Start ups Use Social Media to Shatter the Status Quo [Reference]
• AACE Global U – Social Media Seminar Series [Reference]
• Is scientific publishing about to be disrupted? [Reference]

Social Media, embracing the opportunities

• Companies identify social media as a key communications strategy [Referance]
• Mayo Clinic’s social media success story [Reference]
• How to convince leaders that social media is good for your hospital [Reference]
• Convincing your Hospital CEO to use Social Media [Reference]
• Maneuvering Medical Institutions Through the Wild Waters of Social Media; A talk with John Sharp of the Cleveland Clinic [Reference]
• Scientists are using social media tools [Reference]
• NIH Funds a Social Network for Scientists [Reference]
• Five Killer press Release Tips for Small Business [Reference]
• Top 10 web trends for 2010

Should Social media be used?

• Do Physicians Have A Moral Obligation To Engage in Social Media? [Reference]
• Social Media and the balance between work, personal and social lives [Reference]
• Should You Be Tweeting [Reference]
• Social Media Usage Policies: Less Lawyering, More Encouraging [Reference]

Risks of social media

• Social networking 101 for physicians [Reference]
• Managing Social Media Risks [Reference]
• Post Editor Ends Tweets as New Guidelines Are Issued [Reference]
• WaPo’s Social Media Guidelines Paint Staff Into Virtual Corner; Full Text of Guidelines [Reference]

How to protect yourself from social media

• 5 Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook [Reference]
• 3 great social media policies to steal from [Reference]
• Managing Social Media Risks [Reference]
• Strategies in using social media [Reference][Reference] [Reference]

Keeping with the times

• Future of publishing – Being ‘Born Digital [Reference]
• How Businesses can use Social Media [Reference]