Question

Write a 100 to 200-word statement connected to Social Media, include at least one specific reference (okay if it is from another source).

Make sure to include two positives and two downsides to using Social Media in Healthcare.  

Answer 1

Use of social media in healthcare.

Positives:

• Ability to disseminate healthcare related information to a large number of population simultaneously. This is especially useful in the setting of a pandemic or public health emergency. Accurate information can be accessed from websites of centers of excellence by the public from the comfort of their hime. For example, when the COVID 19 outbreak occurred, initially only few organisations like the WHO and CDC were capable of publishing data based recommendations. These were published online and was followed by the general public as well as healthcare practitioners.
• It gives the patient more ability to take part in the decisions involving his care. The patients can access information related to their illness, the treatment options and the pros and cons of each themselves. They don't have to excessively rely on a single doctors opinion. Support groups for various chronic illnesses exist through which patients can connect with other patients, share their difficulties and form an effective community.

Negatives:

• The amount of information available on any topic on the internet is vast. A lot of healthcare related websites are not operated or backed by licensed medical practitioners and hence their reliability is questionable. There is a real possibility of inaccurate information being passed on to the patient which are based on anecdotal evidence and individual experience rather than evidence based medicine. Patients in their desperation are particularly prone for manipulation from unscrupulous elements who may offer therapies that are useless and even harmful. The ability to verify the authenticity of information presented is less
• Many online forums may not be following recent advances and may offer therapies that are either outdated or found to be of no therapeutic value. Sourcing of information by the online forums may not be after rigorous verification. A lot of information may be subjective. For example, a patient may experience a very rare complication of a drug and may write numerous articles about the same. Other patients who would not be susceptible to these complications may be detered from taking this treatment because in social media often the loudest voice is the only one that is heard.