Social Media Impacts in Health Care
Discuss About The Dangers Of Social Media In Health Setting.
Technology is quickly taking a center stage in healthcare and in nursing activities. One of the technological and internet advances that is quickly predominating healthcare is the utilization of social media. Social media refers to a system of electronic sharing of information through channels like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram. On the other hand, social networking is the creation of business and personal relationship especially online. However, that being said, social networking in most cases takes place on the social media platform. Different entities of the healthcare system can benefit on the use of social media. Many health facilities and healthcare workers have social media pages and regularly use social media as an avenue for communication (ANMF, 2017, p.1). It has both merits and demerits in the healthcare setting. Even though it has its disadvantages, social media has proven to be greatly beneficial in the healthcare setting and, especially to the nurse.
Social media has more impacts that are significant, goals and objectives in health care. To realize these aspects, we must first understand our customer, patient, consumer, and the connection required to make them feel better throughout the healing process especially the in patients. According to the report in the Australian Bureau of statistics, it shows that the e patients today in Australia are about 100 – 150 million, this means that 80% of the population are e patients (Cowling 2017). The internet become the first source of healthcare information where 50 % of patients visit to get more information and a smartphone company also reported that 53% of the smartphone users search for medical related information on the internet (Cowling, 2017, p. 3). This habit of using social media to access health care services has made people to metamorphose into finding their doctors and hospitals online before they even consult their families, friends or even before they go to urgent care or clinic. This is a potential of good news to our generation because it seems like e patients are always connected and always sharing their health care experience online by face booking and tweeting to their friends (Alsughayr, 2015, p. 105). This form of sharing leads to amplification of information and leaves a social proof for other patients to believe on the evidence provided as an assurance of getting better health care advice.
Benefits of Social Media in Health Set-up
Social media is of great benefit in the health set up as it enables a faster sharing of important data and information as far as health is concerned (AHPRA, 2014, p.3). Information on various diseases, for example, cancer, is available in social media and this demystifies various myths and misconceptions associated with such diseases (Ventola, 2014, p. 491; Tasselli, 2014, p. 629). Various treatment options for various diseases are also available in various social media forums such as Facebook and Twitter. As such, nurses have an easier time. Nurses can use social media platforms to aid them in giving health education to patients. They can also easily refer patients to social media platforms such as WhatsApp groups where the patients can find key information and support (Chretien & Kind, 2013, p. 1415). Also, the availability of information on these platforms can help nurses to in refreshing their clinical knowledge hence enhancing the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP).
Additionally, social media is of great use in linking patients suffering from various chronic illnesses and creating a social network through which they fight the psychological trauma associated with such illnesses. The patients in question share their experiences and even their success stories on dealing with the chronic condition (George et al., 2013, p. 4). They also organize for getting together activities to further share and strengthen one another. Nurses have a duty to provide holistic care to patients. As such, nurses can ensure adequate psychological support to patients by referring them to such platforms where they will fight that they are not in the fight alone (George, et al., 2013, p. 5). Nurses can enhance the functionality of these platforms by being joining such platforms too. That way, they can provide scientifically proven information to the patients and guide them accordingly.
Further, social media enables the general public to easily identify various health facilities where various specialized medical and surgical services are available. Through social media, patients are able to identify health facilities that that can deal with their conditions amicably. In other words, it is a method of advertisement for various health facilities and this enables the patients to conserve time and resources that could have been wasted visiting wrong facilities. Nurses, as health promoters, can offer their contribution by using social media to direct patients to various facilities where they will get the best services (Smailhodzic, et al., 2016, p. 442). This application of social media is more important for community nurses who can identify patients in need of various health interventions in the community and, through social media, direct them to the facilities that can deal with their conditions effectively.
Risks and Limitations of Social Media in Health Care
The government and other public offices in the department of health use social media to pass and implement various health policies. Policymakers also use social media to determine the position or the opinions of various stakeholders in the health department (Tasselli, 2014, p. 634). Even in individual hospitals, the hospital administration can use social media platforms to determine the acceptability and the applicability of the various policies that they make. In the same way, health facilities and governmental authorities can use social media to conduct health and demographic surveys that can be vital in the determination of policies (Ventola, 2014, p. 491). Policymakers can also use social media to disseminate vital information to stakeholders. This application of social media in the clinical setting is relevant at all levels starting from the department of health to the dissemination of policies from the nurse leader to the other nurses in a clinical unit. In other words, healthcare is about communication and social media is an important communication tool in recent times (Smailhodzic et al., 2016, p. 442). Further, the department of health can use social media to directly disseminate important information to the public. Although this does not directly relate to the clinical setting, such information could have important impacts such as prevention of disease hence it is still relevant to the clinical setting and the nurse.
Despite its numerous benefits, social media has its limitation and can turn from a good thing to something that can harm clinical settings. First, social media is used by various fraudsters to con people and facilities (Chretien & Kind, 2013, p. 1419). The fraudsters do not only con money but can also use social media as a platform for conning other things like crucial information on patients. These frauds have often led to the destruction of the reputation of individuals and entire facilities (Ventola, 2014, p. 491). Some health providers also use social media as an unregulated platform where they disseminate wrong information on products or services that they offer. In addition, as an advertisement platform, some rogue, and unqualified individuals advertise themselves and their services and hence eventually endangering the lives of patients rather than promoting health (Tasselli, 2014, p. 651). These unqualified individuals have also given patients wrong information that could potentially harm them in the past. Since most social media platforms are unregulated, it is difficult for users to determine the authenticity of the information on the sites. For nurses, therefore, utilization of such information can lead to harm for their patients (Smailhodzic, et al., 2016, p. 442). Also considering the bad reputation of these platforms in the context of healthcare, the public can easily mistake an authentic health professional for a fraud when they consistently use this platforms.
Conclusion
Further, often with good intentions, people, including healthcare workers like nurses may share pictures and other information on patients through social media. However, this practice is unethical and illegal as it often breaches the privacy of the patient (George et al., 2013, p. 3; Chretien & Kind, 2013, p. 1417). As such, these practices can attract litigation against healthcare workers like nurses. In addition, some patient information can be disturbing to other individuals who view it hence deteriorating rather than promoting public health. To rip from the benefits of social media, nurses are obliged not to distribute or disseminate information of poor quality to the users and should not take this opportunity as a platform to breach the privacy of their patients lest they face legal action. It would be appropriate if nurses use social media for professional matters and not personal activities, however, according to survey conducted in by QuantiaMD, a social media site; it shows that 90% of nurses use the site for personal activities while 65% use it for professional purposes (Chretien & Kind, 2013, p.1418).
Finally, social media platforms have turned out to be great sources of entertainment. As such, it is difficult for many individuals, including nurses, to keep away from social media. Thus, time on these platforms takes a big proportion of many nurses’ time hence impairing on their productivity and worsening patient outcomes in the process (Ventola, 2014, p. 491).
In conclusion, research has found out that social media is an unavoidable with its benefits being more than the dangers. The benefits outnumber the dangers both numerically and content wise. The dangers, though few, may be so devastating to the point of causing death or disability to the unsuspecting subject. It is, therefore, important to regulate the use of social media in the health setting within specific ethical and legal standards that consider both the patients’ safety and the needs of the healthcare worker. However, the increase in the use of social media will continue to grow in the near future. This is because as competition grows, marketing and improved technological enhancement in hospital will start becoming a major strategy of the survival of health care organizations. To achieve this, social media will have to play a bigger role in reaching their clients who are mainly patients hence the drive to technology enhancement in the healthcare sector for communication.
References
AHPRA, 2014. Social Media Policy. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2(3), pp.1-4.
Alsughayr, A. R., 2015. Social media in healthcare: Uses, risks, and barriers. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 3(2), 105. https://www.sjmms.net/article.asp?issn=1658-631X;year=2015;volume=3;issue=2;spage=105;epage=111;aulast=Alsughayr
ANMF, 2017. Use of Social Media and Online Networking. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, 3(2), pp.1-4.
Chretien, K. C., & Kind, T., 2013. Social media and clinical care: ethical, professional, and social implications. Circulation, 127(13), 1413-1421. https://circ.ahajournals.org/content/127/13/1413.short
Cowling, D., 2017. Social Media Statistics Australia – August 2017. [Online]
Available at: https://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-august-2017/
[Accessed 2 May 2018].
George, D. R., Rovniak, L. S., & Kraschnewski, J. L., 2013. Dangers and opportunities for social media in medicine. Clinical obstetrics and gynecology, 56(3). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863578/
Smailhodzic, E., Hooijsma, W., Boonstra, A., & Langley, D. J., 2016. Social media use in healthcare: a systematic review of effects on patients and on their relationship with healthcare professionals. BMC health services research, 16(1), 442. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27562728
Tasselli, S., 2014. Social networks of professionals in health care organizations: a review. Medical Care Research and Review, 71(6), 619 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1077558714557079
Ventola, C. L., 2014. Social media and health care professionals: benefits, risks, and best practices. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(7), 491. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103576/
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