Since May of this year, I have been posting a daily tweet on how healthcare orgs can use social media. @John_Norris with the tag #hcsm
The example I use is Twitter, but any microblogging and socially connected platform would do. I put together some of my thoughts in a presentation, “Hyper-Local Social Media and Healthcare” or better known as “@mayoclinic has good info, why should I listen to you?”
Here’s my tips so far in all their twittery goodness-
The Guiding Lights group in Second Life offers 6 session course on doing peer support within Second Life.
It is put on by Avalon Birke, RL Board Certified Counselor and psychotherapist; Kat Klata, highly experienced online healthcare support person.
I finished all 6 courses, and they were quite good. Lots of role play, outstanding guest lecturers, and super classmates.
If you are thinking about, or already doing, online peer support, I think you will find these classes helpful. I highly recommend them. You need not go to every meeting if you do not want to pursue certification.
I graduated with honors for the work I did on a group discussion simulator.
More about Guiding Lights Peer Specialist Training.
I put together some ideas for healthcare orgs to add value to their local communities.
Basically, it’s getting past the PR broadcast stage of tweeting and onto chatting with the folks in the neighborhood.
Twitter just happens to be the tool for the example. This can be carried out in a variety of ways.
I’m especially interested in what works with mobile technologies (cell/smart phones) as well as web. With a simple web page, those that do not want to be seen as following a particular medical issue can still access the information.
Update:
Lee Aase, who works on the @mayoclinic Twitter account, posted a very thoughtful response to this slideshow. I think we all agree that local and internationally renowned expertise can complement each other. …and he is a good sport about the whole thing.
The August issue is all about healthcare. I hope it helps folks realize the opportunities virtual worlds can afford.
Oh, and my article “The Growth and Direction of Healthcare Support Groups in Virtual Worlds” is included.
Much thanks to the editors and reviewers for working with me and getting the information out there.
CorvallisHealth has been a 3 year long experiment in using micro-blogging to help keep a local community healthy. As of July 17, 2012, I am suspending tweeting from this account as I am now employed by a health organization. Until I have a chance to explore possible conflicts of interest, I am hesitant to posts tweets.
CorvallisHealth chirps out tweets you can use for healthier living in Corvallis, Oregon.
Throughout the week I will be tweeting 140 characters of locally focused, health information. I’ll keep the tweets down to at the most, one message a day, not force you to go to a webpage, and keep it organized to help you plan your time.
CorvallisHealth is also a bit of an experiment. I am a biomedical informaticist, which is someone studying heathcare and information. As part of my research, and career path, I have been looking into tools such as Twitter to help convey healthcare information. I want to see what I can do even without being professionally associated with a local healthcare organization. (You can find my more corporate related medical tweetings at john-norris as well as other healthcare related work on the rest of this website.) So, in exchange for what I think is some helpful information, you may find some things changing as I try out new ideas.
As this experiment includes you, I thought it would be helpful about who I am and what I am doing. This might also help folks send me constructive comments.
