DHI401/ DHI405 Module 8: Social Media in digital health

Web Tools – Blogs, Podcasts, Tags, Wikis, Search Engines being

used by health professionals, patients, scientists.

• Open source and generation of content by users

• Powered by networks and interconnections

• Personalise healthcare, collaborate, promote health education

• Use of Web 2.0 or social medial tools in health that promote

collaboration so as to enhance health outcomes.

• How?

Patients and physicians interact via social media to promote awareness about

diseases, precautions and other health-related information with each other.

Opinions on cases are shared by professionals.

• Consumers use social media to meet their health-related wants, needs and

preferences.

• Online applications offer platforms for both consumer- and physician-

moderated health related conversation, while virtual communities are used for

disease management.

• Researchers are using online communities to recruit volunteers for clinical

trials.

• Public health agencies use social media tools for campaigns and

announcements.

• Web applications are used for selection of hospitals and health professionals,

treatment and expense comparisons, etc.