Twitter as a healthcare tool

[Lucie Smith]

Recently, two cases of Twitter being used to improve patient care have been made public (via @amcunningham). One from the UK, and one from the US, they both make interesting reading:

 

St George's Healthcare NHS Trust and the Tweeting Kidney Patient

 

Can Twitter Help Save Lives? A Health Care Social Media Case Study

 

The increasing frequency of this type of use of social media demonstrates that whatever patients might say, and despite the reluctance of regulatory bodies to develop robust social media guidelines, patients and healthcare professionals are using these platforms to communicate. And the trend can only increase.

 

Once again, proof that these conversations are happening online, whether you’re part of them or not.