This document discusses the use of hashtags on Twitter for health care conversations. It provides examples of common hashtags used to discuss various medical topics like diseases, digital health, IT, and general healthcare issues. It also describes Twitter chats, which are live moderated discussions at set times around a topic using a predefined hashtag. Finally, it recommends the Healthcare Hashtag Project for discovering more relevant medical hashtags and conversations on Twitter.

1. What every
physician
needs to know:
Health care hashtags
on Twitter

2. 1 introduction to
hashtags
• Hashtags (#) are used to join conversations on Twitter by placing
the symbol in front of a relevant keyword or phrase (with no
spaces). This categorizes the tweet and makes it more easily
searchable on Twitter.
• Hashtagged words or phrases become hyperlinked and by clicking
one you can view all other tweets using the same hashtag.
• When a hashtag becomes widely used it can become a “trending
topic.”
How and when is a hashtag used?

3. 2 diseases
conversations related to diseases
• #Migraine
• #ChildhoodCancer
• #BCSM
• #Rheum
• #BreastCancer
• #BTSM
• #Lyphoma
• #Hypertension
• #LCSM
• #Parkinsons

4. 3 digital & Mobile
health
conversations related to digital and mobile
health topics
• #Digitalhealth
• #Epatient (patients who are “equipped, enabled, empowered, and
engaged)
• #Doctors20 (how doctors are using social and web 2.0 tools, etc.)
• #Mhealth (mobile health)
• #Hcsm (healthcare social media)

5. 4 information
technology
Conversations about health care information
technology
• #Emr (electronic medical record)
• #Ehr (electronic health record)
• #HCIT (health care IT)
• #Mdehr (doctors and EHR)

6. 5 general
Conversations related to general health care
topics
• #HealthElection16
• #FOAMed (free open access
medical education)
• #Pharma (pharmaceuticals
• #Hc (health care)
• #Hcr (health care reform)
• #Healthcosts
• #Meaningfuluse
• #MedEd (doctors, physicians,
medical education)

7. 6 twitter chats
• A pre-arranged live Twitter event in which conversations are
hosted around a general topic at a set time. These conversations
are given a predefined hashtag and are usually moderated by an
influencer on the subject. Some may be more formal discussions
with a set agenda, or featured speaker, while others are free
flowing conversations.
• Also known as “tweet chats.”
What is a Twitter Chat?

8. 6 twitter chats
(continued)
• #Hpm – weekly conversations about hospice and palliative medicine.
Wednesdays at 8pm CST. Find out more http://www.hpmchat.org/
• #Bcsm – breast cancer social media. Provides education, support and
community for anyone affected by breast cancer. Mondays at 8pm CST.
Find out more http://bcsm.org/
most popular health care tweet chats

9. 6 twitter chats
(continued)
• #Hcsm – weekly conversations about healthcare communications and
social media. Every Sunday 8pm CST.
• #Rheum – weekly conversations about Rheumatology topics. Sundays
at 2 pm CST.
• #Btsm – brain tumor social media. First Sunday of every month at
8pm CST.
most popular health care tweet chats.

10. 7 health care
hashtag project
• The Health Care Hashtag Project by Symplur was created for the
health care community to provide an online database of relevant
hashtags. New and existing Twitter users can explore what health
care conversations are trending in real-time and discover who to
follow within their specialty. Learn more: http://www.symplur.com/
healthcare-hashtags/.
Want to discover more health care hashtags?

11. 8 protection for
a new era of
medicine
about tmlt:
With more than 18,000 physicians in its care, Texas Medical Liability Trust
(TMLT) provides malpractice insurance and related products to physicians.
Our purpose is to make a positive impact on the quality of health care for
patients by educating, protecting, and defending physicians. www.tmlt.org
Find us on: