Docs Need to Get Up to Speed, Social Media Advocate Says
By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Bertalan Mesko, MD, PhD, is counting on old media to convince more clinicians about the value of new media.
The clinical genomics specialist has just published a handbook on social media in clinical practice -- and he hopes it will bring late adopters up to speed with their social-media-savvy colleagues, and even with some of their electronically empowered patients.
While "expert" patients voraciously pursue credible medical information and communities online, clinicians "usually lag behind," Mesko, who is based in Budapest, said in an email exchange with MedPage Today. Instead of disdaining this kind of behavior, doctors need to see themselves as a gatekeeper of vetted online information and activities, he said.
One of the earliest clinician voices on social media, Mesko has been attempting to make that gatekeeper role easier as the founder of Webicina.com, a clearinghouse of sorts for digital and social media resources. He's also a self-described "medical futurist" who blogs at Scienceroll.com.
Mesko answered some questions about the book, "Social Media in Clinical Practice," and about online engagement via email. An edited version of that conversation follows.
MPT: Why the need for a book on social media adoption for clinicians?
Mesko: Social media has been playing an increasingly important role in medical communication as the Internet now has a crucial place in our lives. While patients relatively easily become empowered or expert patients -- the so-called e-patients, as they are really motivated to use digital solutions to get a better care -- medical professionals usually lag behind.
I've been teaching medical students and physicians about the proper use of social media and other digital technologies for years, and my experience is that even if I created a free e-learning platform for them, they stick to the traditional way of learning new things. Therefore, the need for a practical handbook full of examples and step-by-step instructions about using social media platforms was imminent.
MPT: Many clinicians are apprehensive about social media because of HIPAA and patient privacy. What are the challenges here, and how should clinicians address them?
Mesko: Physicians should know exactly the potential limitations and privacy issues caused by the use of social media. [In the book], I describe bad examples and stories related to these crucial issues.
In one example, a patient added me on Facebook and shared her previous medical records with me even though she was not my patient. I rejected the offer and sent her a private e-mail explaining why (that this is a personal online channel, why our relationship would be professional and I don't want to mix these). She perfectly understood.
I had a colleague who rejected the offer and pretended like nothing happened when they next met. He described the situation as quite awkward.
This happens when you don't know the rules of online communication. If we know the rules, just like in real-life communication, the use of social media becomes safe and efficient.
MPT: Can you give examples of some of the more insightful uses of social media that you've seen among doctors?
Mesko: I'm a member of amazing medical communities -- from Google+ to closed Facebook groups -- in which I can discuss clinical issues with peers worldwide. My Twitter channel with over 32,000 followers lets me crowdsource difficult diagnostic problems, and my blog gives me a chance to connect with tens of thousands of medical professionals without limitations. I published papers in peer-reviewed journals after collaborating with co-authors simultaneously in a Google document.
Social media provides us with a lot of opportunities, but only if we know the potential limitations and security issues. Acquiring such knowledge takes years, and my goal with the handbook was to shorten this time significantly for those medical professionals who would like to become a bit more digital, but at the same time use these online tools in a secure way.
MPT: How did you crowdsource a difficult diagnostic problem?
Mesko: The story happened in the fall of 2009; the New York Times wrote about it in early 2010. When professors at the clinic could not find the solution to a complicated medical issue, I sent a tweet to my tens of thousands of medical followers for useful advice. I tweeted this:
"Strange case today in internal medicine rotation: 16-year-old boy with acute pancreatitis (for the 6th! time). Any ideas?"
I received hundreds of amazing responses from all over the world, and in one day we came up with a potential solution. The final diagnosis was microlithiasis, small stones from the gallbladder causing pancreatitis from time to time without obvious causes. The diagnosis was not so simple because of the size of the stones and as a medical student I wanted to use the power of the medical community I had been building for years, so that I might come up with useful suggestions for my professors. It turned out to be a good idea.
MPT: If there was one use of digital or social media that all clinicians should adopt, what would it be?
Mesko: I think communication methods in real life and in the online world are the same. If medical professionals understand this and create a proper online presence, as well as give their patients a chance to communicate with them through certain online channels, the doctor-patient relationship can become more efficient by saving time for both parties.
Using digital technologies, especially social media, is now an integral part of medical communication, and as more and more patients use these platforms, their physicians must be able to deal with this in an evidence-based manner.
MPT: Are there any definite "don'ts" for clinicians online?
Mesko: I tell my medical students they should definitely not do things online which they would never do offline. That's how simple it is.
MPT: What is the "Participatory Medicine Movement" and what should practicing clinicians know about it?
Mesko: As e-patients are motivated to use digital technologies in their health management, they have additional questions about the Internet, such as where to find reliable medical resources about their conditions. Doctors must be able to respond properly and professionally to these questions as well. The Participatory Medicine Movement leads to some changes in the structure of medicine in which medical professionals will become mediators or guides for their patients online.
In order to reach this long-term goal, doctors should learn new tricks, not just about communicating with patients online, but also about keeping themselves up to date more easily.
MPT: Which smartphone apps should every clinician already have downloaded?
Mesko: It very much depends on certain factors such as specialty, the smartphone or tablet you have, and the way you want to use it in practicing medicine. The key point here is curation. Only curated, validated, and quality smartphone apps should be used by physicians, and they should be able to help their own patients identify similarly good apps themselves.
