Who says Twitter and Facebook are just for teens? More and more organizations—including hospitals—are now using social networking and Internet resources to reach out to customers and business associates alike. Health care futurist Jeff Goldsmith, PhD, points out that having an on-line community of caregivers and patients will likely lead to better problem-solving and disease management, as long as the Web is truly used as a tool for connecting people, and not just as a staid virtual in-box.
So, how can
hospitals harness the power of the Internet to serve their
goals? We recently heard from several providers on how Web
media outlets have helped them to advance their practice, as
well as tailor the health care experience for 21st century
consumers.
Michael
Coffey, MD, Medical Director of Informatics at Hallmark
Health, Inc. (Medford, MA)
Working to promote a patient-centered hospital, Dr. Coffey
believes in finding innovative ways to get patients engaged
in their health care. "Hallmark Health uses YouTube for
posting instructional videos and patient testimonials, and we
also keep the community up-to-date by using Twitter," he
says. Visit their social media
Web page for more
information.
Brian Yeaman,
MD, CMIO, Norman Regional Health System (Norman, OK)
Social media, interoperability, and the community can come
together through a Health Information Exchange (HIE) model
being developed by Norman Regional, according to Dr. Yeaman.
"Physicians would log into one place to view and send
messages to other clinicians, thereby sharing information
across networks and promoting continuity of care," he
says. "The HIE care cycle is complete when information
is accessed by patients through a patient portal."
Norman Regional is currently using Facebook and Twitter.
Adam
Messenger, MD, CMIO at Greenwich Hospital (Greenwich, CT)
Dr. Messinger describes an enhanced medical record in which
patients would each be assigned a hospital e-mail address to
communicate with their physicians and schedule appointments.
With this type of record, patients would be comforted knowing
they can get an immediate response while physicians can
easily manage and keep in contact with patients. "Basing
the EMR around patient care is possible, and this is truly
the way medicine and health care are heading," he says.
Greenwich Hospital is also on Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, Greenwich CIO Jim Weeks also has his own Twitter page, where
he recently gave LIVE updates on MEDITECH's recent Physician/CIO
Workshop.
MEDITECH
Medical
Information Technology, Inc.
MEDITECH Circle
Westwood, MA 02090
781-821-3000
www.meditech.com