Inside the new physician classrooms
Unless you live under a rock, you likely know that social media has quickly become its own online newsroom. Now a new study shows doctors are using social media to stay informed about medicine. Whether it’s the latest journal articles or news about clinical research, if it has something to do with helping patients—physicians around the world are watching, listening and chiming in.
A recent study from the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that 85 percent of primary care physicians use social media daily to review health information and get tips on how to improve patient care.
“As physicians we can’t ignore the tremendous amount of health information out there that keeps you plugged in,” said Dr. Rishi Sikka, vice president of clinical information at Advocate Health Care. “You have to take it in small doses, but using the right filters, social media is a smart and fast way to keep you in the know.”
Sikka adds that the key to knowing what’s worth a read is to look for trends like multiple references for the same story or study. Physicians are also using social media as a way to boost professional relationships. “I chat with physicians on Twitter all the time that I’ve never met in person.”
Sikka says he doubts social media will ever fully replace the good old fashion ways of learning for docs but it’s certainly helping physicians increase their knowledge
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
