Healthcare Social Networking

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Institution

Healthcare Social Networking

The healthcare social networks and information technology are alike in a manner that the physicians use the media technologies to communicate to other medical personnel concerning their field expertise. The nurse, physicians and doctors engage in sharing of ideas and information on the matters of healthcare through the use of information technology networks such as facebook and twitter. However, the healthcare social networks differ from communication technology networks by the fact that healthcare social networks consist of a cluster of medical personnel forming social networks to exchange information. Conversely, the information technology network provides provide an interconnected platform where people can use to share information (Weaver, Lindsay & Gitelman, 2012).

The government of the Unites States intends to implement a stimulus program meant to facilitate sharing of the Electronic Health Records (EHR). The experts on information technology media and healthcare social networks agree that hospitals should make use of the opportunity to make the patients even more engaged in their care. For example, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided extra medicare and Medicaid payments for the hospital’s adoption of the health information technology. In addition, the nurses are uniquely position in connecting with the patient. As such, the US government has implemented e-communication technology to sustain patient-provider connections (Weaver, Lindsay & Gitelman, 2012).

The social media have been used as a powerful adjunct to other communication technologies as most patients are likely to share their information more on the media that any other social sites. In addition, many people trust the healthcare information provided on the social sites; moreover, the social sites provide an excellent source of education (Weaver, Lindsay & Gitelman, 2012).

References

Weaver, B., Lindsay, B., Gitelman, B. (2012). Communication technology and social media:

Opportunities and implications for healthcare systems. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(3).