How Social Media Can Be a Positive Force in the Healthcare Industry

Oct 04, 2023

Jun 6, 2023

Although social media can be the source of significant career damage, it can offer some positive outcomes in the healthcare industry. For instance, social media-savvy physicians may choose to use it as a platform for peer and patient education, as well as for advocacy.

According to an article published in the International Journal of Medical Informatics, physicians who employ social media to convey knowledge aid in improving how people search for and use health information. What's more, an article in the journal Cancer Discovery noted that physicians can use social media to give both emotional and peer support to patients. Another positive aspect of medical social media is its ability to expand the lines of social and intellectual communication among physicians, as is mentioned in a Journal of Clinical Medicine article.

One physician who successfully uses medical social media is Akua Ampadu, MD, of New York-Presbyterian Hospital , who employs social media to address the problem of increased physician burnout due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a survey by The Physician's Foundation, feeling of burnout rose from 4 out of 10 physicians in 2018 to 6 out of 10 physicians in 2022. Dr. Ampadu uses her Instagram account to coach both physicians and other medical professionals on burnout prevention and wellness. She also teaches them via Instagram how to navigate social platforms like LinkedIn.

Like Dr. Ampadu, Nancy Yen Shipley, MD, a partner at the Oregon-based Multnomah Orthopaedic Clinic, uses Instagram to affect change in the medical community. In addition, she puts out remarkable podcasts. For instance, Dr. Yen Shipley posted an up close and personal view of bridge-enhanced ACL repair (BEAR). New-Jersey based trauma surgeon Nii-Daako Darko, DO, hosts a podcast titled, "Docs Outside the Box," in which he combines medicine, finance, and a hint of pop culture to teach physicians how they can maximize their wealth and improve their lifestyles.

Hazel Wallace, MD, founder of The Food Medic and a registered nutritionist, uses her Instagram account to provide nutritional guidance to patients. According to an American Journal of Medicine study, nearly one-quarter of physicians do not recall medical school providing any nutritional training. For those who do recall some training, 35% reported learning opportunities limited to one lecture or even a section of a lecture. As such, Dr. Wallace's medical social media posts fill a significant need in the healthcare industry.

A number of physicians employ TikTok for their medical social media communications. Ophthalmologist Will Flanary, MD, educates and entertains his followers under the pseudonym Dr. Glaucomflecken on his TikTok account. Another physician who employs TikTok for medical social-media, as well as Twitter and Instagram, is Don S. Dizon, MD, director of medical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Dizon uses his Instagram and TikTok accounts to share heartfelt patient stories and addresses the importance of establishing a solid patient-physician relationship. On his Twitter account, Dr. Dizon posts a wide range of helpful information for both practicing and future oncologists.