Evaluation Report of Social Media as an Innovative Health Informatics

Question: Describe about the Evaluation Report of Social Media as an Innovative Health Informatics. Answer: Introduction Social media platforms are being used by health organizations to educate the public, share crucial information with stakeholders, notify public regarding outbreaks, sharing new information on research work and even in providing online health care advice to patients (Alsobayel, 2016). These platforms are used to also advertise different programs being offered and to notify the public on any preventive health care practices. Social encompasses a number of internet tools and/or platforms which enable people and groups to virtually gather and interact through sharing of information, messages, pictures, videos among other content (Antheunis et al, 2013). Today, social media include social networking sites such as Facebook, GooglePlus and twitter; networking sites for professionals such as LinkedIn; content production sites such as Tumblr and Blogger; and media sharing sites like You Tube and Instagram, among others (Prasad, 2013). Social media platforms can be utilized to enhance HCP prof essional networking, HCP education, for organizational promotion, provision of patient care and health educational programs, among other public health initiated programs (Antheunis et al, 2013). Even so, social media platforms pose potential risks to not only patients but also to HCPs (Roman, 2014). This report provides an overview on the use of social media as a health technology, the framework to evaluate this technology and ways it can improve patient care, the benefits and the risks involved in its use in health care systems, and further, recommendations on mitigating the risks of this technology in health care. The Framework and/or Basis for Evaluation of Social Media Use as Part of Health Technologies and Systems The following factors need to be considered as part of the framework to evaluate the use of Social Media as part of health technology. Cost Analysis The cost of using social media is relatively low, yet its positive results to these institutions are generally high. Subscription costs to the use of social media platforms including blogs, Facebook, Twitter among others are rapidly dropping owing to the fact that more people are now more connected to the internet (Antheunis et al, 2013). This means that health institutions are able to pass information to potential, partners, and the public among other stakeholders through these platforms cheaply. Any emerging notifications including alerts on disease outbreaks and summary of research results carried out by these institutions can be posted on reliable company social media sites for these targeted audiences. Unlike using the costly yet not far reaching traditional means of communication according to Mohammed Yusof (2012), such as official publications and costly broadcasts on radio and television, the use of social media has lesser subscription costs(Quisenberry et al, 2016). It also requires a few staff members to operate on behalf of a whole institution. For users who engage health care providers on social media, it is also cheap and convenient interacting via social media, other than making official calls which sometimes does not happen. Equity on Service Delivery Equity is a crucial factor that must be considered in choosing a reliable health care technology (Quisenberry et al, 2016). Today, there are a lot of people subscribed to different social media platforms. The more people connect to the internet, the more likely they may be able to engage HCPs through their institutional and/or personal social media sites. Despite this increase in the number of users and subscribers, there are still those who cannot access the internet and therefore have no clue of these particular services. All the benefits that come with being subscribed to the health care social sites therefore do not reach part of the population privacy (Roman, 2014). This brings about inequality in terms of information acquired and health education practices offered. They eventually remain uninformed and stuck on the limited available health services within their communities. Flexibility of the technology Flexibility include involves the ability of a health technology to be used for varying purposes and/or be expanded to include any new emerging elements that healthcare institutions want included(Benjamin, 2006). The social networks such as Facebook and Twitter; and content production tools such as Blogger can accommodate any new information that institutions want to reach the stakeholders. These platforms allow for sharing of videos, pictorial images, research results in readable formats between stakeholders and the staff. Even so, these are done with varying confidentiality. The platforms therefore are flexible and allow any organization to share information and receive feedback on a wider range of issues. Social and Ethical Implications Health care practice prioritizes ethics in the design of any given technology. Even so, ethical considerations vary depending on the social practices of a given population (Benjamin, 2006). The social media however can be accessed and operated by individuals from any region of the world. Therefore, it encompasses interaction of people from different social backgrounds. In this regard, some posts on these sites may not particularly consider ethical issues. The content shared may be unethical especially on the You Tube and Facebook privacy (Roman, 2014). There are platforms that are however controlled by health care professional which regulate and moderate the interaction messages between users, subscribed to their systems. There is thus need for all HCPs and/or organizations to ensure that their platforms are fairly regulated to ensure that they have lesser unethical posts from users. How Social Media Will Improve Patient Care or Health Outcomes The use of social media among patients and HCPs has and continues to help improve both patient care and the health comes. Firstly, social media allows patients and their doctors to keep in touch even after treatment (Alsobayel, 2016). In this regard, patients are able to seek for clarification on any emerging complications, their home-based care progress, and the side effects they could be experiencing so that doctors may recommend a change of regime. The physicians can also provide patients with available treatment options for any further emerging infections among patients. As a result, the health outcomes improve within a particular community. Secondly, social media brings together patients with similar disease conditions. This can help them discuss their individual symptoms and the variations in their treatment plans (Antheunis et al, 2013). For those patients with chronic diseases, sharing information and realizing that they are not fighting alone with the disease gives them courage to initiate proper self-care. In case of any special programs that target such as group with a common ailment, they are able to encourage each other to participate and thus improve their health outcomes. Another way in which social media is improving the health outcomes is through enhancing evidence-based care among professionals (Hartley, 2014). This is through reliable social media platforms including closed groups for professionals. Through these platforms, HCPs can learn from each other, make inquiries, and share latest research results on how to manage varying disease conditions more effectively. As a result, HCPs in developing countries for instance are able to interact and share information with more experienced professionals around the world. They are able to use this information in improving their expertise in caring for patients, using the evidence acquired. The Benefits of Introducing the Technology Improving Professional Networking among HCPs Social media platforms enhance the interaction between HCPs in different fields and professions. These professionals can engage each other on online communities regarding any emerging patient issues and especially international infectious disease outbreaks. Physicians are able to interact and listen to experts, communicate with professional colleagues on the treatment of general and special disease conditions privacy (Roman, 2014). HCPs in developing countries are able to interact and share information with experts regarding best practice in handling patients, and in the management of health care services. Professional Education It is evident today that the capabilities of communication of social media are currently relied on in the improvement of clinical education. According to Antheunis et al (2013) Nursing schools understand that their students who are mostly aged between 18 and 29 years old have developed the habit to use social media and therefore, have developed part of their curriculum to be offered on these digital platforms. A survey conducted in the year 2011 in the US indicates that about 38% members of the faculty of pharmacy in colleges use Facebook to teach (Alsobayel, 2016). A half of these members indicate that they could use the technology in the future due to its capabilities to communicate conveniently with motivated students. On the other hand, research indicates that Twitter has been useful in enhancing nursing student critical care decision making skills, through seeking feedback from instructors. Organizational and Special Program Promotion Different health care institutions such as hospitals, health care systems, healthcare professional societies, most pharmaceutical companies, advocacy groups on health among others rely on the social media, to communicate and reach their target groups. These organizations are also utilizing the social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to enable their visibility in the health care scenario (Antheunis et al, 2013). Marketing of health care organizations today is so rampant on social media. Social media is not only cheap but a far-reaching instrument in regard to advertising of programs and products for health care purposes. They also provide an avenue where HCPs and health institutions can receive news and feedback on their programs, for continued improvement (Prasad 2013). Institutions that host reliable social media platforms always provide resources for patient health education, while giving an effective customer service to them. Patient Education Social media platforms used today enable patients to access information on health care and participate in health education programs done online. Patients can participate in health discussions, research, seek for moral and financial support, set health care goals and be able to track their own individual progress in terms of healthy practices through social media (Alsobayel, 2016). Physicians through blogs, recorded videos and participation in the virtual community discussion forums enable boost health care education and improve health care outcomes. Social media is particularly beneficial in cases where patients require care for chronic and/or rare diseases as it enables patients and caregivers to access answers on the care approaches for such conditions. Patients with similar disease conditions share information and support for each other (Prasad, 2013). For instance, a platform referred to as PatientsLikeMe offers a platform where patients can access information, support and intera ct with other people with the same conditions. Public Health Programs The social media platforms are today being used to mobilize masses in participating in health care programs that can help meet global public health goals. Advocacy groups on health policies relied on some of these platforms in acquiring initial feedback on proposed bills in intended for governance of health care institutions and health care systems at large(Hartley, 2014). These platforms can be used to track and locate regions where public health disasters have occurred. In this regard, they are likely to influence the design for monitoring these disasters, and the response required for the same. Outbreak of Flu in countries like Hong Kong for instance, and Ebola in West Africa, could be well reported on the social media platforms within these regions. The Risks for the Health Care Organization and/or Patients or Users of Social Media for Health Care Purposes Poor Information Quality Information shared and acquired on social media is mostly unreliable and of poor quality. This is because the authors of the medical information posted on the social media platform mostly remain unknown and/or provide limited information on their identity. Further, information on health care given may not be dully referenced, completed, and/or formal. Evidence-based practice in medicine discourages the use of anecdotal reports. However, the social media always emphasizes their use and further rely on the posted individual patient stories to obtain a collective medical knowledge (Antheunis et al, 2013). Therefore, social media contradicts the conventional evidence-based medical practice in regard to the quality of information shared. Damage to Professional Image Social media platforms are very sensitive platforms where professionals such as doctors, nurses, physicians among others could damage their image professionally only by making a slight mistake (Quisenberry et al, 2016). The social media communities where individuals interact rely on the expert knowledge provided as advice. However, in cases where a professional for instance makes derogatory statements, posts pictures of patients under care without their permission among other unnecessary features, patients and other professions change their attitude towards this individual. In more advanced institutions where employees check their workers social media posts, one may risk a revocation of their license and loss of job. Due to its unlimited use, professionals may use wrong language towards each other in disapproval of their conclusions on healthcare interventions. As a result this impacts on their professional image and brings about a wrong perception among patients regarding them. Breaches of Patient Privacy Health care professionals sometimes may want to use a particular patient case to explain the different approaches to solving particular health problems. They may in the process use the information posted by a particular patient, which however should completely be kept private (Prasad, 2013). On other platforms, patients post excess personal information including health insurance registration numbers and their real names with a description of their condition. However, conventional nursing practice requires that patient information should be kept private and confidential unless there is a special allowance for that (Quisenberry et al, 2016). This means that there is need for permission to use a patients information in case one needs to post any information, using their status. Acquiring patient permission usually is hectic as some may not want to be exposed and/or victimized for their posts on the social media platforms. Legal Issues Use of social media in healthcare has complicated the relevant legal processes. The platforms have challenged the rights to freedom of speech, searching and seizing and to privacy (Roman, 2014). Legal cases on health have over and over been discussed on social media and in one way or another influenced the outcomes of such court cases, when it should not be the case. Social media platforms such as Facebook have been criticized for sharing individual information to third parties (Hartley, 2014). In the US for instance, users must agree to terms that their information may be shared with security agencies in case of any special request from them. In this regard, individuals who might have shared health information out of good will or otherwise, may be victimized if found culpable to have committed any defined crime online. Third party organizations through social media platforms hosted by a number of HCPs like micro-blogs, access individual contact information for their own use (Prasad, 2013). With time, they may start sending adverts and unwanted messages to these contacts without prior permission and this violates personal privacy. Conclusions This report provides an overview on the use of social media as a health technology by different institutions and health services consumer groups. The social media includes creation of content through blogs, sharing of media and social networks, run on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Tumblr among others. The report highlights a framework to evaluate this technology particularly in terms of costs, flexibility, equity, social and ethical implications. Further the report outlines ways social media can improve patient care and the benefits and the risks involved in its use in health care systems. Recommendations The following recommendations should be considered in order Improving credibility of information- HCPs creating blogs and any health social media content should share information sourced from credible publications, while avoiding inaccurate information. Prevention of Damage to Professional Image-There is need for health institutions to provide clear guidelines to HCPs on the appropriate procedures to follow when engaging patients via social media so as not to contravene their contract terms as HCPs and their commitment to ensuring patient privacy of information. Protection of patient privacy-Interactions on the social media platforms should not feature the specific names of patients without due authorization. Legal Issues- In creating online content and making any interactions with different groups, there is a need to understand any relevant laws regarding the privacy of individuals. References Alsobayel, H. (2016). Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey. JMIR Medical Education, 2(2), e15. https://dx.doi.org/10.2196/mededu.6232 Antheunis, M., Tates, K., Nieboer, T. (2013). Patients and health professionals use of social media in health care: Motives, barriers and expectations. Patient Education and Counseling, 92(3), 426-431. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2013.06.020 Benjamin, C. (2006). A framework for evaluating new technologies. 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