Discussion of how social media can be used to enhance global health.

1. The Shrinking Globe:
Social Media and Global Health
Mark, Ryan, MD
Ranit Mishori, MD, MHS

2. 2
Activity Disclaimer
ACTIVITY DISCLAIMER
It is the policy of the AAFP that all individuals in a position to control content disclose any relationships with commercial interests upon
nomination/invitation of participation. Disclosure documents are reviewed for potential conflicts of interest (COI), and if identified,
conflicts are resolved prior to confirmation of participation. Only those participants who had no conflict of interest or who agreed to an
identified resolution process prior to their participation were involved in this CME activity.
Ranit Mishori and Mark Ryan have indicated they have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

3. What is social media?
• Online tools
• Share ideas and user-generated content
• Engagement
• Without regard to distance or location
3

4. The wide world of social media
4

5. What is Twitter?
• Very short (140-character) messages.
• Users identified by their “handle” @name.
• Posts (“tweets”) are shared among account
“followers”, and can be shared (“re-
tweeted”, or “RT”) with other users.
• Twitter can be accessed by SMS/text.
5

6. Making sense of Twitter
6

7. Global twitter activity:
“where there is electricity, there are
tweets”
7

8. Using Twitter in global health:
Organizational updates
8

9. @WHO Tsunami related Tweets
managing radiation exposure
• Iodized #salt doesn't have enough #iodine to
protect you from radiation. Too much #iodizedsalt
can cause poisoning. #japan #globalhealth
• Consult your #doctor before taking #iodine pills.
Do not self-medicate! http://tiny.cc/qgp4p
#radiation #tsunami #japan #globalhealth
9

10. Using Twitter in global health:
Organizational updates
10

11. Using Twitter in global health:
Connections and collaborations
11

12. Using Twitter in global health:
Sharing known resources
• A message from Gabon: a request for help
for clinical resources to assess CVD risk.
12

13. Using Twitter in global health:
Education and public health
• @bnwomeh: Want to teach a course on
#globalhealth? Check out this catalogue of
"Educational Modules" from @CUGHnews
http://t.co/cJIX1l5e6F #meded
• @jeffsturchio: Check out these ten game
changing #globalhealth innovations in new
Innovations Report: [http://t.co/SxY8CbGD9L]
#Innovations2015
13

14. Using Twitter in global health:
Disease surveillance
14

15. Using Twitter in Disease Surveillance
• “…Our results show that estimates of
influenza-like illness derived from Twitter
chatter accurately track reported disease
levels”.
Signorini A, Segre AM, Polgreen PM (2011) The Use of Twitter to Track Levels of Disease Activity and Public Concern in
the U.S. during the Influenza A H1N1 Pandemic. PLoS ONE 6(5): e19467
15

16. Who’s Tweeting?
• WHO: @WHO
• UNHCR: @refugees, @refugeewomen
• PAHO/WHO: @pahowho
• CDC Global: @CDCGlobal
• World Bank: @WorldBank
• USAID Global Health: @USAIDGH
• Gates Foundation: @gatesfoundation
• Gates Foundation HR: @JobsAtGates
• Fogarty International Center at NIH: @Fogarty_NIH
• The Lancet: @TheLancet
• Duke Global Health: @DukeGHI
• Michael Kidd, WONCA: @WONCApresident
16

17. 17

18. Who’s Tweeting NOW?
• The discussion on the conference hashtag
#AAFPGlobal can be seen here.
18

19. Thank You!
• @RichmodDoc
• @ranitmd
19