The Power of Social Media in Medicine and Medical Education: Opportunities, Risks, and Rewards.

Abstract

Tweets. Hashtags. Blogs. Hangouts. Podcasts. Wikis. What do these social media platforms and verbiage have to do with education, and why should you care? Social media is used on a daily and even hourly basis as a modality to rapidly and effectively communicate, educate, and learn. Some medical specialties have quickly adopted and embraced social media, particularly in the fields of emergency medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. Other fields, including laboratory medicine and pathology, have had a much slower uptake that may directly correlate with the amount of patient–physician interaction. The specialties that have a high rate of use have also catalyzed implementation of social media into medical education and residency program curriculum, and used it as a modality to recruit physicians and staff at all levels. In addition, the free open-access movement (FOAM)9 has altered how medical education resources and content are accessed by physicians and patients, ultimately shifting and removing geographical and income barriers across the globe. Laboratorians and pathologists have a unique opportunity to move outside the 4 walls of the laboratory and engage other physicians, residents, and even patients in a way that has never been done before. Perhaps it is time we communicate beyond the results reported in the electronic medical record, and instead discuss the value and contributions that our laboratories provide every day. Here, 6 experts in the social media field share their thoughts on social media use, challenges, and opportunities. What are the primary forms of social media you use from a professional and educational standpoint, and how long have you been using them? How has your profession and/or colleagues responded (i.e., fast or slow adopters) to using social media? What do you believe are the primary contributing factors to this response? Shannon Haymond: My primary format for this purpose is …