The document discusses social media use among physicians and perspectives on its risks and benefits. It provides an overview of different views on social media: - Some see social media as dangerous for kids and having professional/legal risks for physicians. However, research also shows potential benefits like raising awareness of mental health issues. - Attitudes vary among physicians - a survey found most see risks but some see benefits like sharing medical information. One physician said social media are tools that can improve communication if used appropriately. - Examples are given of physicians who use social media successfully in their practice through blogging, tweeting about their work, and engaging with patients and peers online. - The key is for physicians to make informed

1. Social media. Why …
and how
Pat Rich (@cmaer)
Nov. 28, 2013
Regina
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2. My life on Twitter
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Social media staff resource at
CMA
Monitors and writes on health
IT development
Monitors Twitter on a
continuous basis
3100+ followers and follows
2000
Interacts with MD peer
leaders in social media on
daily basis
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3. Social media is BAD
In a newly revised policy statement released today, the American Academy
of Pediatrics recommends that parents make a media plan for their families
that takes into account not only the quantity, but the quality and location of
media used, and includes mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices.
It also encourages keeping all screen media (TVs, computers, tablets, etc.)
out of kids' bedrooms.
USA Today, Oct. 28
“Social media is dangerous for kids, so we can’t model it.”
Conversation with CHEO Communications Director Ann Fuller about attitudes of some
senior staff at her hospital
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4. Not so fast
Clinical research published by American Academy of Pediatrics showing
social media can have beneficial impact on children and adolescents
Ongoing discussions in social media have documented the ability of the
tools to raise awareness about mental health issues (e.g. #stigma) and to
provide patients with mental health issues with secure, online communities
to provide support
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5. Turning back the
clock?
can’t be done
must accept social
media use by children and
adolescents is here to
stay
best to encourage
others to use
appropriately
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6. What is Social Media?
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Extension of every day interaction
Conversations & exchange of information
Communities of shared interest
Tools for innovation
Integrates technology

7. CMA epanel survey – Attitudes towards social media
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Use of social media
90% Poses professional and legal risks to physicians
55%
57%
55%
53%
Increases public knowledge about health issues
Helps patients gain a sense of community by sharing with other
Increases public knowledge about health issues
Provides platforms for better peer-to-peer sharing of medical information
and insights
39% Is of little value in day-to-day medical practice
30% Permits patients and physicians to share information in a collaborative way
22% Helps physicians provide better care more efficiently
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8. Canadian Psychiatric Association
annual meeting - 2011
“Physicians should maintain a high level of
professionalism in all aspects of life. He likened
the online community to a small town in which a
physician must always maintain a certain
decorum.”
“…for all physicians, social media are tools that
can be used to improve communication and
knowledge translation. For example, he said,
clinical narratives (posted without identifying the
patient) can promote reflection and a greater
understanding of the physician–patient
relationship.”
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12. ▸ Blog post
▸ Why depression has
made me a better
doctor - Dr. Ronan
Kavanagh
▸ http://www.ronankav
anagh.ie/blog/whydepression-hasmade-me-a-betterdoctor/
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13. Mental Health Engagement
Network – London, ON
Yes, there is
an app for
that
- 400 pts with mood or
psychotic disorders
- iPhone, PHR, tools to
manage health
- Mood monitor to track mood
in real time electronically
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14. Dr. Gail Beck
Ottawa child
psychiatrist
Tweets
(@gailyentabeck)
Blogs
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15. An expert Canadian physician voice
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Dr. Ali Jalali, teaching chair, faculty of medicine, University of Ottawa
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16. Why consider social media?
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To stay informed
Communicate (engage) with peers and patients
Disseminate information
Advocate for/against something
Because if you decide not to use social media, your
decision should be based on sound knowledge
about what you are choosing not to use

17. Why consider social media II
(graduate class)
 For public health purposes (e.g. tracking epidemics
or spread of new pathogens)
 As learning tools in medical education
 To show your clinical technique on YouTube
 To deliver clinical care!!!

18. Dipping your foot in
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Search for yourself on Google
Open a Twitter account (takes 5 minutes)
Post a LinkedIn profile
View an instructional video on YouTube
Join an online community
Follow a #hcsmca session (Wed. 1pm EST)
Start an RSS feed

19. Reasons not to use social media
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Time-consuming
Don’t understand the technology
Not paid for it
At risk for legal or professional consequences
Not interested in what others have to say, or in
communicating with people using these media

20. Twitter in 3 slides - Why consider it
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To collect information
To connect with peers – locally and globally
To connect with subject experts
To advocate on important (to you) issues
To recruit patients for studies
To join discussions
To follow conference activities
To report on conference activities
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21. Twitter in 3 slides – What is it?
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A microblogging site (140-character maximum)
A self-contained community where you choose who to follow -- but not
who follows you (although you can block people)
A real-time information source
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22. Twitter in 3 slides - essentials
 Setting up a profile takes less than 5 minutes
 Be transparent about who you are
 Perfectly OK to just follow others until comfortable
tweeting
 If a personal account state that views are your own
 Twitter is a public space – think before you Tweet
be courteous and don’t Tweet when angry
 Hashtags (#) are your friend
 Use Twitter tools (Tweetdeck of Hootsuite) to
organize information

23. The Boundary Fallacy
Keeping a boundary between
professional and personal life on social
media is “operationally impossible,
lacking in-agreement among active
physician social media users,
inconsistent with the concept of
professional identity, and potentially
harmful to physician and patients.”
Rather than eliminating boundaries and
“suggesting anything goes,” physicians
should just ask themselves whether
what they are posting on social media
is appropriate for a physician in a
public space – with the issue of the
content being professional or personal
being irrelevant.
“Social Media and Physicians’ Online Identity Crisis”
published in JAMA, Aug. 14 (v.310, no: 6, 581-582).
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