Paul Levy, CEO & Blogger - Running a Hospital
One of the first banners I saw as I entered the IHI Forum had a blue Twitter bird logo with instructions to “follow” the hash tag #IHI09. By placing this hash tag in messages posted or “tweeted” on Twitter, your messages shows up in a search of folks communicating about the Forum and its content.
Over the last year or so, we’ve seen a rapid emergence of the use of social media like Facebook and Twitter. We’ve also seen it become an interesting communication tool for businesses and real people to share ideas and information. It feels as if we are only beginning to see the potential of these relatively new mediums.
Today, I sat across from Hospital CEO & Blogger Paul Levy (Running a Hospital) as he shared with an interested group of faculty “this thing called Twitter.” In addition to providing real time blog posts and tweets about the Forum, Paul is delivering a session on Wednesday on Using Social Media to Pursue Quality and Patient Safety. Sarah Fraser is also doing a mini course on Monday on Using Social Media to Improve Health: Techniques and Applications. Who would have guessed a year or two ago, these topics would be on the agenda?
In addition to scheduled sessions, IHI Forum participants are self organizing for informal “tweet ups” around topics like patient safety. For the first time, attendees can quickly network with people with like interests, from around the world, that they might not have ever met in year’s past. Fantastic!
I’m still testing and learning to use these tools, but am intrigued. When Paul finished his Twitter demo, one of the faculty asked him something along the lines of: “What’s the point?” He replied, “I’m not sure yet, but for now, it’s kind of fun.” I agree. What do you think? Where do you think this social journey will lead us?
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This is a milestone in the history of mankind. Not since the invention of movable type has information been so easily distributed, and it is not restricted to one medium or another. It is not surprising that Social Media has only been spread amongst healthcare providers over the last year or so, due to the fact that rarely are healthcare providers early adopters of anything not having to do with what they consider as direct patient care.
Healthcare, and the professionals within, as an industry will define how it uses Social Media. Will it be used for educational purposes? Propaganda? Crisis communication? Yes! And no. Every organization and person will have their own individual goals for what they want to achieve in Social Media, and that ultimately will determine what they will use it for.
Social Media in general will lead to both a new level of collaboration as well as a new level of personal branding. Social Media in healthcare… well that’s still up for debate.