Lead, listen and learn how to engage in health care social media networking.

1.  Leadership – Innovation is only possible with leaders willing to challenge the status quo.  True leaders are the ones who passionately step out of the boundaries, willing to take action.  In order for social media to flourish in any organization it needs motivated leaders at the helm who are ready for action.  Leaders must have a passion to communicate authentically, embrace change, and step out of the silos.  Above all leaders must lead and engage with empathy and heart; and be ready for a challenge.

Notable health care institutions engaged in social media networking

• Cleveland Clinic
• Mayo Clinic
• Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Foundation
• MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Memorial Hermann [Tweeted Live Brain Surgery]

Comprehensive list of hospitals are engaging in social media by Ed Bennett [Hospital Social Network List-U.S. Hospitals that use social networking tools – updated on October 9, 2011]

1,229 Hospitals total

• 575 YouTube Channels
• 1068 Facebook pages
• 814 Twitter Accounts
• 566 LinkedIn Accounts
• 946 Four Square
• 149 Blogs
• 4,118 Hospital Social Networking Sites

2.  Listen – Listen and monitor the conversations occurring on Facebook, and Twitter. Jason Boies writes on Radian 6’s Blog:

“Monitoring unveils what’s happening in the healthcare industry; and that includes your competition. Listening in on competitor conversations can help you in a host of ways. Maybe you’ll hear that they’re rolling out a new service offering, but that their customers have questions about pricing (which may inform decisions about your own offerings). You might find opportunities to fill patients’ unmet needs by monitoring competitive conversations. And you might even hear about what your competitor’s communities love about them, so you can understand what makes your facility different, or where you can tweak your strategies.”

Social networking sites help educate patients and consumers, raise awareness of health issues and it offers a forum to collaborate and connect with patients and caregivers.  Listen to the real-time communications taking place and engage with empathy.

3.  Learn – As leaders engage in social media platforms, it’s crucial to step outside of your silos and connect with other thought leaders from other industries.  By tapping into other industries, health care organizations and individuals can gain insights and new ideas.

It’s important to learn from other industries, and implement social media guidelines and policies.

List of 20 Excellent Social Media Networking Resources

Federation of State Medical Boards-Model Policy Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Social Media and Social Networking in Medical Practice (pdf)

Takeaway

Social media networking is not going to go away.  Lead with passion, purpose and heart.  Step outside your industry and learn from others.  Monitor and engage in conversations.  Establish social media guidelines and polices and always engage with empathy.

Your turn

Are you a health care professional or organization that engages in social media networking?  What is your experience?  What tips do you have for an individual or organization that is thinking about having a social media presence?  Please share your insightful thoughts in the comment section below.

As always thank you for sharing your insights and for your valuable time.

Connect with me | Stay in touch

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Useful resources

3 Reasons Why Social Networking Is Not a Waste of Time for Health Professionals

Social Networking On The Front Line Of New Modern Medicine

Nurses Share Insights into Social Media

Healthin30/Social Media Networking

Image:  Freedigitalphotos.net

As a registered nurse, here are three of my top health tips for taking charge of your health. These aren’t the typical how-to-tips; rather, they help empower you by getting you involved in a hi-tech and social world.

1. Get involved. You are the most important member of your health care team. You are the biggest stakeholder in your health care, and you have the choice to live a healthier life. Become a proactive and empowered health care consumer, and become engaged in your health care. Partner with your health care providers and be part of the decision-making process. Remember to speak up and ask questions.

2. Get tech savvy. Technology can help move your health forward for a healthier you. Health apps continue to soar and mobile technology, “or mHealth” is transforming health care around the globe. Imagine having a conversation with your doctor or other health care provider that goes beyond what medications to take. Instead it involves communication about technology.  Imagine having access to your electronic medical records (EMRs) and/or electronic health records (EHRs) via your mobile phone. Picture your health information captured in electronic health records that could be available to all your doctors and health care providers no matter where you are.

Or what if your clinician suggested health apps that are right for you?  In fact, Happytique, Inc. is doing just that. According to a press release,

“Mobile app prescribing will add an entirely new dimension to my ability to care for patients,” said Steven Magid, M.D. of New York-based Hospital for Special Surgery. “In this increasingly connected and mobile world, the use of Happtique’s mRx™ will improve doctor-patient communication, patient engagement, compliance, and ultimately patients’ health.”  “App prescribing will enhance the provider/patient connection and facilitate healthy behavior changes, potentially reducing costs for providers, payers, and patients,” said Happtique CEO Ben Chodor. “mRx™ is the next evolutionary step in the field, and we are confident the provider community will agree and embrace app prescribing as a way to better engage patients in their own health and improve clinical outcomes.”

Now picture you and your doctor or other health care provider communicating via text, email or video.

Text Messaging
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to get text messages with reminders or motivational messages? Research conducted at the Center for Connected Health, showed that “sending people a text message each AM with the weather report and a reminder to put on their sunscreen increased sunscreen use dramatically,” said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Founder and Director at the Center for Connected Health.

If you are pregnant or a new mom Text4baby messages (founding sponsor Johnson & Johnson) are free text messages for pregnant women and new moms even if the individuals don’t have a text message plan and if they have a limited texting plan, these text4forbaby messages don’t take away from that limit.

Telemedicine|Telehealth
Imagine patients being able to communicate with their physicians and other health care providers easily and effectively.  For instance, patients can input their health and biometric data from consumer monitoring devices that measure blood sugar, weight, and blood pressure (to name a few) into Smartphones or PCs; which then, safely integrates into the electronic health record (EHR, PHR, EMR) for instant communication and feedback from physicians and other health care providers.

Or, imagine late at night, a patient interacting from a cell phone or a computer with a physician or other health care provider that could help save a trip to an emergency room.  Envision patients monitoring their chronic diseases independently while living at home.

American Well is a technology company that brings health care into homes and into the workplace.   While this software telehealth company’s site is for professionals, take a look and find out what key features are possible.  Begin the conversation with your health care providers.

Gaming
Gaming is huge and it can help you achieve your health and wellness goals. What if your health care provider suggested you played Kinect or offered other suggestions for gaming for better health?

3. Get social. Sure, hanging out with your friends face-to-face is always a great way to interact, but I’m talking about getting social in the social networking space with health experts who can inspire you, lead you to action and offer trustworthy health information.

Tap into health experts

By engaging in social networking , you can tap into health experts that you trust.  Here is a short list of the many wondering health educators.

There are many health experts engaging in social media networking to help provide you with valuable information. I’ve been involved in a few Sharecare’s awesome Twitter chats—powerful real-time question-and-answer sessions—and I must say that two hours tweeting health information, engaging and interacting with the twitter audience on topics like sleep, heart health and genetics was very cool.

Twitter is one powerful platform that offers the opportunity for nurses, doctors, and other health care providers to help educate consumers. We are privileged to listen to the community, engage with consumers, collaborate and hopefully inspire people to live a healthier life.

Engage in online health communities

Communities are a great way to find emotional support and reassurance from other people going through the same experience. You can collaborate and share information.  Inspire is one example of an engaging community.

Patients can help transform health care and may help drive innovation and behavior change by engaging in the power of mobile devices and social media networking.

The conversation between you and your doctor or other health care provider needs to change. Technology needs to be part of the conversation. You can play a huge role in the adoption and deployment of health technology.  Help drive innovation.

The technology is here, now it needs to get in the hands of patients and consumers.

Your turn

We would love you to share your insights in the comment section below.  Are you an engaged and empowered consumer? What are your thoughts on health care technology? Are you for or against it? How do you feel about social media networking? Do you engage with health care professionals?

–

Connect with me | Stay in touch

• Follow Barbara on Twitter
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• Like Healthin30
• Connect with Barbara on Linkedin
• Become a fan and like Huffingtonpost

Additional Posts

• Can Mobile Devices Help Connect the Dots for Better Health Care?
• Grand Rounds on Healthin30 Features Health IT – Mobile Technology, Telemedicine
• Gaming for Better Health
• How is Gaming Changing the Landscape in Health Care? Part 4
• Telehealth, Remote Monitoring and Mobile Health
• Telehealth the Nucleus of Patient Care
• Telehealth Tapping into Social Influence
• HIMSS Article on  Telehealth by Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA
• Patient-Centric Care at the Hub of Telehealth
• Health 2.0/Health IT
• Patient Engagement
• Chronic Disease Management Through Mobile Health-Guest Post on KevinMD
• Patient-Centric Care Delivered with Patient-Friendly Apps
• 5 Buckets to Patient Engagement and the Role of HIT
• Patient Engagement and Health IT – Social Media Voices

Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio
Patient Experience: Empathy and Innovation Summit
May 19-22, 2012
Title: Social Media in Health Care
Speakers
Agenda

Arkansas HIMSS
Little Rock, Arkansas
H.I.T. it to the Green with Leadership
June, 1, 2012
Title: Using IT to Engage the Patient
Speakers
Agenda

Guest speakers Cleveland Clinic

Rob Bazemore, Jr.
President
Janssen Biotech

Patricia Benner, RN, PhD, FAAN
Professor Emerita
University of California San Francisco

Abdullah Bin Zarah, MPH, CBBSS
Executive Director, Clinical Affairs; Director, Business Strategy
Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City

Zsolt Bognár
Pianist

Brodie Boland
PhD Candidate in Organizational Behavior
CASE Western Reserve University

Sheila Cahnman, AIA, ACHA
Group Vice President
HOK

Robin Fray Carey
Founder
Social Media Today LLCK

J.T. (Ted) Childs
Global Strategic Diversity Advisor
Ted Childs, LLC

Calvin Chou, MD, PhD
Professor of Clinical
University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine

Nananda Col, MD
Shared Decision Making Resources
Read Bio

Alan Dubovsky
Assistant Director Business Service
The Emory Clinic

Ioan Duca, BSA, MSA
Service Excellence Officer
University of Toledo Medical Center

Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA
President
Barbara Ficarra Productions, LLC

Joyce Fitzpatrick, PhD, MBA, FAAN
Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing
CASE Western Reserve University

Clare Fletcher, MS
Director Service Excellence
Forbes Regional Hospital

Larry Freed
President and Chief Executive Officer
Foresee

Stewart Gandolf, MBA
Founding Partner

Emilio Garcia-Ruiz
Editor for Strategic Projects
Washington Post

Devin Gross
Chief Executive Officer
Emmi Solutions

Ron Gutman
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
HealthTap

Catherine Meredith Lambert
Rehearsal Director
The Dancing Wheels Company & School

Brent Larkin
Columnist
The Plain Dealer

Jenn Lim
Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Happiness Officer
Delivering Happiness

Doug Lyons
Patient

Sanjay Malaviya
Chief Executive Officer
RL Solutions

Cynthia Floyd Manley
Integrated Messaging and Content Strategist
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Harley Manning
Vice President, Research Director
Forrester Research

Nancy McDonnell
Patient and Judge
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court

Mickie McGraw, MA, BFA, ATR-BC
Art Therapy Consultant, Educator,
Clinician and Patient

Julie Muraco
Managing Partner
Praeditis Goup, LLC

Deirdre Mylod, PhD
Vice President of Hospital Services
Press Ganey Associates

Kurt Newman, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Children’s National Medical Center

Michael O’Neil, Jr.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
GetWellNetwork

Tony Padilla
Director, Patient Affairs and Volunteer Services
University of California Los Angeles

William Rawn, FAIA
Leed AP, Founding Principal
William Rawn Associates

Monica Reed, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Florida Hospital Celebration Health

Tammy Richards
Corporate Director of Clinical Engagement
Intermountain Healthcare

Carol Santalucia, MBA
President
Santalucia Group

Nina Setia
Chief Patient Experience Officer
NYU Langone Medical Center

Scott Simon
Correspondent and host of Weekend Edition
NPR

Diane Stover-Hopkins
Chief Experience and Marketing Officer
Memorial Health System

More Cleveland Clinic Speakers Here

Guest speakers HIMSS Arkansas

Dave Hartman, President, Hartman Executive Advisors
Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA, Founder Healthin30.com
Linda Tyler, Arkansas State Representative Chairperson State Public Health Policy Task Force
Dr. Lee Scher, CEO, DLS Consulting -  Keynote Speaker

HIMSS Arkansas 2012

Rob Harris

“Patient engagement is more than patient satisfaction. It is patient involvement in every aspect…The patient engagement process consisted of my wife (the patient), myself (the caregiver) and our medical team. All worked hand-in-hand throughout. Rather than telling us what we would have to do, they explained our options.” -Rob Harris

So much has changed since 1990 when I first enlisted to be the primary caregiver to my wife.

I can personally attest that a different mindset has engulfed the medical universe.

As a “baby-boomer”, my parents raised me well. I learned to respect authority and my elders. I did not question those in charge. My parents, considered to be members of the “traditionalist” age group, grew up during the World War II era, when the military was not quite worshiped, but certainly revered. Amongst their populations, authority was never to be questioned.  Doing so would label the one doing so as a malcontent.

As a caregiver and a person in 1990, I believed in treating everyone with respect, which I still adhere to today. In 1990, I rarely, if ever questioned someone in authority. To me, those in the medical community stood side-by-side with our country’s political and spiritual leaders, military officers, and corporate executives.

The result? I did what I was told and did not question decisions made by those in charge. In other words, if I didn’t like what I was told, I learned to live with it.

Today, the Generation X and to a lesser extent, the Generation Y populations of younger leaders are influencing and reshaping society in significant ways.

Today’s generations grew up with computers, where vast amounts of knowledge are but a keystroke or two away. Hence, if they did not believe what they were told, they could go online and conduct research to determine the validity or legitimacy of the issue at hand. This next wave of professionals, we find, adheres to the philosophy, “Your title doesn’t impress me. Your knowledge and abilities are what will convince me to believe and follow you. If I don’t like what you have to say, I’m going to contradict you or, I’m going to check out and go elsewhere.”

Are they being disrespectful?

Not as far as I’m concerned. What they are being is “confident” and “independent thinkers.”

I admire them for this. In fact, society in general has been trending in this direction for quite some time.

And thus, in 2006, when my wife discovered she was about to battle a much deadlier form of cancer, and my role as a caregiver would be dramatically more involved than my initial experience, I immediately anointed myself an “honorary Gen X’er.” My acceptance of a medical dictatorship was gone. A very different culture exists, and I was ready to be a part of it….well, an older and wiser part, anyway.

In 2006, my wife was told she had a very rare and deadly form of cancer, one with a cure rate of less than 30 percent. Additionally, in order to survive over the upcoming few months she had left to live, she would need to have her leg amputated as soon as possible. In 1990, we would have listened and not questioned the orthopedic oncologist who spoke those words to us. However, in 2006, with computers and the Internet readily available, we became healthcare consumers. We decided to shop around for a better deal, a better prognosis and hopefully, a much better outcome.

After traveling across country to interview oncologists and orthopedic oncologists/surgeons, we selected the third set of doctors that met with us. We discovered them on the Internet, where we learned they specialized in my wife’s form of cancer.

Once treatment began, we continued to research and learn all we could about her illness and treatment options. We also wanted to make sure we were being treated properly. Once we grasped what that entailed, we insisted upon it from that moment on.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to do so very often. The doctors, nurses and other medical providers at our hospital of choice, the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, were fully engaged in that philosophy…well, for the most part, anyway. In 2006, family caregivers were still lacking the respect and recognition they deserved, not unlike what may be the case within many health care establishments today. Fortunately, we were able to overcome that hurdle after several strategic and calculated moves on our part and some open-mindedness on theirs.

What we evolved into was a “triad.” The patient engagement process consisted of my wife (the patient), myself (the caregiver) and our medical team. All worked hand-in-hand throughout. Rather than telling us what we would have to do, they explained our options. It was as cohesive a decision making process as it could possibly be. We actually felt they treated us with the same care and attention they would have shown to their own family members.

Was this a legitimate emotional attachment?

It is the real deal!

Today, six years later, we are still friends with many of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others that we interacted with at Moffitt.

Patient engagement is more than patient satisfaction. It is patient involvement in every aspect of their care, including the research conducted to determine the proper course of action to be taken, to the meals their served, and even the gowns they are “made to wear.” As a case in point: my wife refused to wear those hideous green gowns with the air vents in the back. She always brought and was never denied the opportunity to wear pajamas.

Rather than feeling as if we were not important and a non-factor in the decision-making process, we felt completely engaged throughout And that, we believe, contributed to my wife being cured of cancer.

About Rob Harris

My name is Rob Harris. I am a caregiver to my wife, Cindy, who is a two-time cancer survivor. Presently, she continues to experience challenges with a leg amputation that has forced her to remain wheelchair-enabled. I am an author of two books, the first to be released this summer, 2012, called We’re In This Together, A Caregiver’s Story. The second is in production. My passion is to help fellow caregivers, patients and members of the medical community bond as a team. I also blog, speak to groups and coach individual caregivers via my website, Robcares.

—

Your turn

Are you a caregiver?  What tips do you have as a caregiver?  How important is patient engagement? Share your story with us in the comment section below.

As always, thank you for your valuable time.

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Follow Rob on Twitter

[This is a follow-up post to Social Media:  3 Notable Quotes in the Social Health Space.]

Health care happens before you visit with your doctor, nurse practitioner or other health care provider. Health care is about you. You have the choice to be an empowered, engaged and proactive consumer, and you have the choice to take action to live a healthier life.  It’s important to partner with your doctor and other health care providers to meet your health goals.

A recent post included a proactive quote by Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, and author of “How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick In America,” from an interview by The New York Times Well blogger and author, Tara Parker-Pope.

“…I blame patients, I blame doctors, I blame hospitals, I blame drug companies, I blame insurance companies. Our health care system is messed up because the system is designed to fail, and everybody is responsible for health care failing as it is now.” – Dr. Otis Brawley

Blaming isn’t the answer

Health care is fragmented, but placing blame isn’t the answer.  I believe a contributing factor is the separation of health care silos. It’s easy to place blame, but that’s not going to help foster collaboration, and a collaborative culture is what is needed.

Deanna Attai, MD, breast surgeon, shares her thoughts regarding Dr. Brawley’s remarks:

“There is no question that we have problems with our healthcare system, from all sides. However instead of blaming and pointing fingers, to me this reinforces the need for all to be at the table and talk to each other. This applies in the care of the individual patient as well as on a larger scale in terms of setting policies. It is only with open dialogue and dismantling of the silos that we can expect to have true partnerships with one common goal – effective disease prevention and treatment.”

However, John La Puma, MD, ChefMD, disagrees.  Sharing his thoughts in an email to me, and with his permission to publish, he writes:

“Health care silos are silos for a reason: they don’t recognize common interests, and tend to take positions which advance the causes of shareholders and stakeholders.  I think it’s particularly difficult to blame patients for wanting more care:  America, in the 20th century latter half has been about bigger, better, more.  One solution is the community-based education one, the DIY one which includes Doing It Together as well. Young people already get this. They are already understanding more about interconnection, ecology, food source and water source, and the interrelationship between food, water, body, mind and spirit than I did when I was in college and medical school. I think that, along with technology advances will help to provide a system that is less based on blame and more on interconnection.”

Dr. La Puma’s points are well taken and I agree with him that technology will promote interconnection.  We need to engage with patients and consumers and technology needs to be part of the conversation in and out of the doctor’s office.  From telemedicine to health apps, to gaming and texting; all for a healthier life.

Your turn

What steps are needed to help fix health care?  Please share your insightful thoughts in the comment section below.

As always thank you for your valuable time.

Patient Engagement

5 Buckets to Patient Engagement and the Role of HIT

Patient Engagement and Health IT – Social Media Voices

J&J Unit Closes Facebook Page Due To Comments by Ed Silverman

“This page was created – in a spirit of innovation – as a space for people affected by psoriasis to share experiences and information, and to discuss psoriasis and related topics. Janssen is proud to have provided this forum at a time when they weren’t as widespread as they are today. But instead of our original intention of facilitating meaningful conversations, our experience shows we are actually hampering conversations that could take place freely on a page run by a patient organization.” – Janssen Spokesman from Janssen UK unit of Johnson & Johnson commented on the shutting down of Psoriasis 360 Facebook page.  [Source:  Pharmalot]

How Doctors and Patients Do Harm by Tara Parker-Pope

New York Times Well blogger and author, Tara Parker-Pope interviewed Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, and author of “How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick In America’’ (St. Martin’s Press).

“…I’ve seen that so many times, where doctors really have failed to evolve and failed to learn as the profession and the scientific evidence have changed over time…I blame patients, I blame doctors, I blame hospitals, I blame drug companies, I blame insurance companies. Our health care system is messed up because the system is designed to fail, and everybody is responsible for health care failing as it is now.” – Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society, partial response when asked by Parker-Pope to explain how he  just doesn’t blame doctors for being greedy, but he blames patients for being gluttonous.” [Source:  The New York Times]

Full interview here>

The Top 5 Devious Lies You Hear About Social Media by Justin Brackett

“By now everyone and their dog knows I love social media. I gave up my full time job at a national law firm to pursue my passion and it’s pretty incredible to do what you love (and get paid). But, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns as some portray.  Like any other job, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and consistent engagement.  Social media marketers come a dime a billion these days and you must differentiate yourself. Or die trying!”  – Justin Brackett, VP of Shift Digital, shares insights about social media on SocialMediaToday. [Source:  SocialMediaToday]

Your turn

How do you feel about the responses above?   Are you surprised that Janssen UK unit of Johnson & Johnson closed down its Psoriasis 360 Facebook page?  What are your thoughts regarding Dr. Otis Brawley’s comments?  How would you respond to Justin’s comments regarding social media?

Please share your insightful thoughts in the comment section below.

As always, thank you for your valuable time.

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Illinois Nurses Association Highlights Social Media

The Illinois Nurse, the official publication of the Illinois Nurses Association highlights social media for nurses and offers continuing education credits in the March 2012 edition, Volume 8, No. 1.

Social media has changed the landscape in health care and it is a powerful and phenomenal platform to help educate consumers, raise awareness of health issues and connect with consumers and colleagues.

Social media gives a voice to patients and consumers and it allows the conversation to get started.  Nurses have the opportunity to engage with consumers and colleagues.

“Can Nurses and Social Media Coexist?  A Cautionary Tale…” by Chris Martin is an informative article that provides information on how nurses can successfully use social media in the workplace and avoid the professional pitfalls.

Nurses share their insights on social media

Donna Petko, BSN, RN, a clinical coordinator at Nightingale Home Healthcare in suburban Chicago, “has taken up the challenge of using social media in a nursing context,” writes Martin.  “Petko and her colleague Nancy Onyett, FNP-C, recently started a Twitter chat specifically designed for advanced practice nurses called #APRNchat.”  “Petko says that engaging in social media has helped her maintain professionalism and stay current on a range of health care topics,” writes Martin.

Karen A. Daley, PHM, RN, RAAN, and president, American Nurses Association (ANA) is quoted as saying, “Social media can be a powerful tool, one with the potential to enhance or undermine not only the individual nurse’s career, but also the nursing profession.”

I’m delighted to have been interviewed for this continuing education article on social media for nurses.  Martin writes:  “According to Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA a pioneer among nurses using social media…nurses can easily incorporate social media into their practice but it’s vital they remain professional.”  I’m further quoted as saying, “I do believe that nurses can and should share their knowledge and expertise on a broad scale by deeply connecting and engaging in social networking.” “Nurses have the opportunity to share trusted and accurate health information and to empower patients to be proactive in their health.”  “Through social media, nurses can be agents of change,” Ficarra said.  “They can help promote health and wellness issues.  Nurses have the opportunity to educate patients and consumers, raise awareness of health issues and social media offers a forum to collaborate and connect.”

Thanks to the Illinois Nurses Association, The Illinois Nurse and Chris Martin for addressing and highlighting the topic of social media for nurses.

Your turn

We would love you to share your insightful thoughts in the comment section below.

Are you a nurse, doctor or other health care professional who engages in social media?  How do you use social media?

Health consumers, do you engage with health care professionals in social networking sites?

As always thank you for your valuable time and for sharing your valuable insights.

Connect with me | Stay in touch

Follow Barbara on Twitter
Visit Barbara on Facebook
Like Healthin30
Connect with Barbara on Linkedin

Become a fan on Huffingtonpost

Related Posts

3 Reasons Why Social Networking Is Not a Waste of Time for Health Professionals

List of 20 Excellent Social Media Networking Resources

Social Media: Medical Social Networking – Part 2

Social Media: Pharma Industry Considers Patient Engagement a Must

Scripps Jumps the Curve by Tapping into Social Media Networking for Nurses

A Brilliant Reason to Dive Deep into the Social Media Health Space

What are the Legal Implications for Doctors, Nurses and Hospitals Engaging in Social Media?

Connection is Critical in the Social Media Networking Space

Social Media/Networking

[Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

What is patient engagement?

Patient engagement is a connection between patient, caregiver and health care provider.  A trusted relationship forms and mutual respect is fostered.  Patients and their families are empowered and they are active in health care decisions.  However, patient engagement begins before the initial interaction with health care providers.

When patients and consumers recognize the need to be in charge of their health, patient engagement evolves.  Patients and consumers have a choice to be an active participant in their health care.  Those patients and consumers who choose to be actively involved and in charge of their health, work together with their health care providers to successfully reach their health goals and needs.

A recent study conducted (pdf link) by the National eHealth Collaborative “2012 NeHC Stakeholder Survey,” found that 64% of stakeholders’ survey described “patient engagement” as: “Patient uses educational material and online resources to learn about better health or their own health conditions.”

It’s interesting that most stakeholders surveyed felt that using educational materials and online resources best reflects the definition of patient engagement.

Obtaining health information online helps begin the conversation between patient and health care practitioners.  The internet is a tool to help enhance communication and collaboration.  The actual “engagement” is connection, communication, collaboration and respect.

In light of meaningful use and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) patient engagement has become the buzz word and hospitals and health systems are clamoring to find ways to partner with patients to make hospital care safer, more reliable, and less costly.  Preventing hospital acquired conditions and helping patients heal without complications to avoid re-hospitalization within 30 days of discharge, has “the potential to save up to $35 billion across the health care system, including up to $10 billion in Medicare savings, over the next three years.”

Health IT and Engagement

Healthcare technology plays an instrumental role in helping patients and their families manage their health, and help in the medical decision process.

A report from Deloitte Center for Health Solutions (pdf link), found “two out of three physicians agree that HIT can improve quality of care in the long run.”

Health information technology (HIT) can help move patient engagement forward.  Utilizing Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Personal Health Records (PHRs) and communicating with patients using secure messaging systems to email and text are ways to improve quality care.

Mobile technology, PHRs, and EHRs need to be part of the conversation between patient and health care provider.

Health information alone isn’t going to change health habits or maintain good habits; it’s the action that you take to help achieve a healthier life.

Doctors, nurses and other health care providers can help empower patients and caregivers.  When patients and caregivers feel empowered they are better able to participate in their health care.

Let’s look at patient engagement in terms of buckets.  I feel that there are five buckets that contain essential ingredients for patient engagement to flourish and foster an empowered patient.

5 Buckets to Patient Engagement

1. Empathy – With empathy we can connect, engage and empower our patients.   Empathy allows us to understand what it is patients are going through.  By acknowledging their emotional state and listening attentively, we can engage our patients and empower them to be proactive and in charge of their health care.  According to Jodi Halpern, M.D., Ph.D. author of “What is Clinical Empathy?” in the Journal of General Internal Medicine:  “Empathy involves being moved by another’s experiences. In contrast, a leading group from the Society for General Internal Medicine defines empathy as “the act of correctly acknowledging the emotional state of another without experiencing that state oneself.”
2. Collaboration - Developing a partnership with your health care provider is paramount.  Collaboration is not only the sharing of health information; it is the interaction between patient, caregiver and provider.  Doctors and other health care providers have the opportunity to discuss the use of technology to promote and maintain health and achieve your health goals.  From remote patient monitoring to health apps, health care providers can educate patients and caregivers about useful technology.  (Additionally, patient engagement relies on a coordinated and collaborative approach with stakeholders including, consumers, payers, providers, government and academic and research institutions, etc. for good patient outcomes and quality patient care.)
3. Listen and Communicate – Listening is an extremely important skill, and understanding patients’ needs are critical.  Communicating with patients in simple language is essential.  As health care professionals engage their patients with empathy, we can make them feel valued and respected, and by listening and communicating effectively with our patients we can develop a treatment plan specifically around their needs.  Patients are the center and the most valuable member of the team.  We need to involve them in their care and understand that they are the integral part of the health care team.  We need to encourage them to be a proponent of their own health care.  We need to let them know that it is okay to ask questions and to take charge of their health.  Patients may have some self-doubt about questioning health professionals.  They may feel uneasy and perhaps they may have difficulty expressing themselves, but we can offer reassurance and continue to encourage them to be proactive.
4. Motivation - Motivation through words and praise can be beneficial.  We can also help motivate our patients by understanding that technology has an incredible role in helping patients achieve their health goals and promote or maintain a healthy lifestyle.  “Leveraging mobile technology is paramount and widespread adoption may be possible.  Simple motivational messages and reminders may help foster a stronger relationship with health care providers and it may allow patients and consumers to take action.  Patient engagement is essential for quality health care.  Mobile technology may be the link to connect the dots in health care.  It may help to transform the lives of patients and provide a stronger partnership with health care providers.”
5. Action – Action is needed to achieve your health goals.  Gaming allows individuals to become active and engaged in their health.   Issues such as medication adherence, chronic disease management, and prenatal care may be a “tap” away.  By receiving text messages through a smartphone, patients can become proactive in their health care.  There are tools to help empower patients, and the Center for Connected Health offers a variety of ways to help health care providers interact through mobile technology.

Bottom line

To effectively engage patients and caregivers, hospitals and health systems need to clearly define patient engagement and define the role of the patient and caregiver.  When a patient or family members asks for a copy of their medical records during hospitalization (or a print out of pertinent data), patients assume they will be given that information immediately.   All stakeholders need to be on the same page in order to fully engage.  Technology is transforming health care, but one constant needs to remain, and that is the relationship formed between patient and health care provider.

And it’s critical that health care providers engage with empathy.  With empathy we connect, we understand, we listen and we can engage and empower our patients to be proactive and in charge of their health.  It’s imperative that health care providers bring technology into the conversation and offer valuable information to help guide patients to achieve their health goals.

Your turn

What’s your definition of patient engagement, and does technology have a role in patient engagement?

We would love you to share your insightful thoughts in the comment section below.  As always, thank you for your time.

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Helpful Resources

Deloitte Center for Health Solutions (Harry Greenspun, MD)

Center for Connected Health (Joseph C. Kvedar, MD – The cHealth Blog)

Healthcare.gov

[This post, 5 Buckets to Patient Engagement and the Role of HIT, is a subsequent post to Patient Engagement and Health IT - Social Media Voices.]

Additional Posts

Can Mobile Devices Help Connect the Dots for Better Health Care?
Grand Rounds on Healthin30 Features Health IT – Mobile Technology, Telemedicine and More
Gaming for Better Health
How is Gaming Changing the Landscape in Health Care? Part 4
Telehealth Tapping into Social Influence
Health 2.0/Health IT
Patient Engagement

[Image:  iStockphoto]

Four active social media influencers share their voices to define patient engagement and comment on why digital technology is important for the doctor/patient and caregiver relationship.

What is patient engagement and how important is digital technology for the doctor/patient relationship?

Twitter

Jody Schoger
@jodyms

Writer, blogger. Optimist. Cancer Advocate. Working for a better world, one word at a time. The Woodlands, Texas • http://womenwcancer.blogspot.com/

The only person with the greatest interest in my health?  Me. Consequently the more I know, ask, and understand about my own health care the better off I am.  I can’t imagine NOT being engaged.  In patient centered care, the patient and her health care professionals work together as a team to achieve mutually determined goals, from reducing bad cholesterol to bringing an aggressive cancer into remission.  The process is the same although the objective may be different.

What gets lost in much of this discussion is the huge cultural shift we’re experiencing right now.  Historically physicians were not used to being questioned but the poor performance of our health care system has necessitated change. Patients and evolving technology –largely Web 2.0 – are helping to bring this about.  It’s essential that we remember that technology is not the end in and of itself but the means to an end – which is a healthy society.  We’re so far from that it isn’t even funny.  And even if I have my own electronic medical record, it doesn’t change the fact that too many people don’t even have a doctor.

Patients like me – white, educated professional women with private insurance?  We find what we need in a country where poverty still haunts millions.  That’s a truth not enough people talk about. I was treated for cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center beginning in l998.  I can access the vast majority of my medical record, and message my oncologist or staff via their patient portal, MyMDAnderson. It’s terrific.  It’s secure.  Last week I had a question for my oncologist since one of my siblings was recently diagnosed with two different cancers.  Within a day I had an answer.  That’s amazing.  So I can readily compile my own record from that data at MD Anderson and from the reports my regular internist routinely shares with me.  Knowing how, and that I can do this is wonderful.  Fortunately I have no pressing health issues at this time though I do keep tabs on lipid profiles and blood pressure.  For a long time I’ve recommended that everyone have their medical history and current medications on a flash drive (or in the cloud, if one’s comfortable with that) and keep the information updated.  Being an engaged patient often means – just being responsible for your own health.  Knowing your own history and having it well organized is part of the equation.

Any of us can learn more about doctors by following them on Twitter!  There aren’t as many oncologists as I’d like, but there are some – @teamoncology, @rsm2800 and @drsteventucker come to mind.  To me engaging with physicians in the social space is a wonderful way to learn about your illness in a nonthreatening way.

Jody Schoger is a cancer survivor and free-lance writer.  She is a co-founder of #BCSM, a weekly tweet chat for women with breast cancer and blog about cancer survivorship issues at http://womenwcancer.blogspot.com/

Twitter

Donna Cryer
@DCPatient

Liver transplant and IBD patient accelerating patient engagement and collaborations in health technology, policy, and systems improvement
Washington, DC • http://www.dcpatient.us/

Patient engagement is an active choice by a person seeking to understand or improve their health to acquire knowledge, share that knowledge with healthcare professionals and/or the patient community, and take some action or deliberate inaction towards a health goal that fits their personal circumstances and values.

Digital technology can play an important role in patient engagement and helping the patient be a stronger contributor to the patient/physician dialogue and relationship by providing real-time access to information about a condition, monitoring, organization and visual representation of daily symptoms and activities that support clinical decisions based on accurate and complete information, and facilitating administrative details so that the limited face to face time is spent truly discussing and deliberating on detailed diagnosis and strategy development for treatment selection and adherence.

Donna Cryer, JD, patient advocate, known as “DC Patient” and CEO of Cryer Health

Twitter

Denise M. Brown
@caregiving

I help family caregivers. Founder, Caregiving.com | Certified Caregiving Coach | Author | Speaker. Interests include social media, biking, sports and travel – Chicago, IL • http://www.caregiving.com

Patient engagement addresses the emotional, physical, spiritual and financial needs of a patient (and, when appropriate, the patient’s family). An engaged patient has the information, resources, tools and support he or she needs to live a life of quality, however the patient defines it.

And, yes, online communication and access to medical records can absolutely improve patient engagement (for the patient and the family caregiver). So much of the health care experience involves a waiting game–waiting for a return call, waiting to see the doctor, waiting for copies of medical records. The wait frustrates and discourages the patient and the family caregiver because it really and truly is a waste of time. Patients and their family caregivers are so involved in the health care experience that access to health care professionals and information should be readily accessible and available.

Denise M. Brown founded Caregiving.com in 1996. She’s authored five books to help family caregivers and regularly presents at conferences about the caregiving experience.

Twitter

Afternoon Napper – Sarah E. Kucharski

@AfternoonNapper

Official Tweet feed of The Afternoon Nap Society—napping, ruminating from a prone position, advocating for health, fostering the patient voice in medicine. Dreamland • http://afternoonnapper.com

Patient engagement is about taking responsibility for one’s own healthcare. Many people chose to sit back and passively accept whatever course of action their healthcare providers prescribe with no questions asked. Healthcare providers are, by job definition, supposed to do what is best for their patients; however, the providers aren’t the patients—they aren’t the ones who must live with the disease and its effects. An engaged patient pushes providers to respond to his or her individual needs whether that be by spending time to answer questions in detail, evaluating medication side effects, or even discontinuing life-saving measures.

Digital technology is changing the doctor-patient relationship for those doctors and patients who are willing to embrace it. Patients have much greater access to information now, and doctors have, sometimes rightfully so, grown tired of patients saying, “I read this thing on the internet…” There is nothing wrong with doing online research so long as the sources are credible. Doctors can play a tremendous role in educating patients about what information is and is not trustworthy by increasing patients’ healthcare literacy. Patients who can more accurately vet the information available will in turn be more knowledgeable about their conditions and more able to be participatory partners in their care. Smart phone and tablet applications for self-tracking already exist and more continue to be developed. For example, patients can keep records of their blood glucose and send the information to their doctor’s office just prior to their appointment. However, can doesn’t mean will. To make digital technology a regular part of healthcare, we must continually work to improve access and usability, and, of course, acceptance of change.

Sarah E. Kucharski, The AfternoonNapper is a 31-year-old writer, reader, editor, teacher, etc… She lives with a long medical history including triple bypass surgery.  She is on the patient advisory panel at the Cleveland Clinic, Founder of FMDChat, advisory panel member for Medicine X ePatient, Stanford University, and speaker Doctors 2.0 speaker, Paris, France.

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Next up

I weigh in on the topic and share my thoughts on patient engagement and technology.

Related posts

Patient Engagement Category

Your turn

What do you think patient engagement means?  Do you feel that digital technology can help the doctor/patient relationship?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

As always thank you for your valuable time and for sharing your thoughtful insights.

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Thank you to everyone who submitted posts for Grand Rounds. I greatly appreciate it.  Grand Rounds is a summary of the best health care writing online.  It features stories, opinions and analysis from doctors, nurses, patients, researchers and administrators, as well as journalists.  This edition features health care technology blogs from industry experts.  I explored the web searching for blogs that I feel are worthwhile to read.  If your submission was not technology related, it may be featured in a future post.  Thank you for your time.

10 Best Health Care Technology Blogs:

1.  Eric J. Topol, MD, Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute, Chief Academic Officer, Scripps Health, The Gary and Mary West Endowed Chair of Innovative Medicine and Professor of Genomics, The Scripps Research Institute

Blog: Topolog
Post: Talking about a (healthcare) revolution: The digital age ushers in precision medicine

“The digital age is revolutionizing the healthcare paradigm by replacing an archaic and wasteful population-based model with precision medicine. Technology now enables us to digitize the human being. Is the medical community flexible enough to accept change? What are your thoughts?” Full Post>

2.  Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Founder and Director of the Center for Connected Health, a Division of Partners HealthCare, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School

Blog: The cHealth Blog
Post: Context is Everything

“A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to talk with an innovative company about a new product.  I make it a policy not to endorse any particular company or product on this blog, so this is not an endorsement.  Rather it is a fascinating story that tells us lots about human nature and gives us clues on how we should design healthcare programs, apps, etc. as we move into the world of patient engagement and accountability…” Full Post>

3.  Paul Sonnier, Vice-President of Partner Development at the Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance (WLSA), Managing Director, Wireless Health Strategies and Founder, Wireless Health group on Linkedin [Editor’s Note:  March 18, 2012 – Paul Sonnier is presently Head of Digital Health Strategy, Popper & Company, Founder, Wireless Health Group on Linkedin and Mentor, Blueprint Health]

[Paul is former VP of Partner Development at the Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance (WLSA), and former Managing Director, Wireless Health Strategies]

Blog: The Wireless Health Blog
Post: Digital Meets Health

“In terms of how the overall ecosystem and, in particular, businesses are leveraging digital, wireless, and mobile, there are varying schools of thought and analyses – not surprisingly, the prism one views it through shapes the assessment.  For some analysts, like John Moore at Chilmark Research, the feeling is that “mHealth” is stuck in neutral. But this perspective is often colored by the framework of mHealth being mostly about health apps and mobile tools in healthcare settings and in population health management, and about smartphone health apps for consumers.”  Full Post>

4.  David Lee Scher, MD, is a former cardiologist and founder at DLS Healthcare Consulting, where he assists mHealth companies and partnering providers, institutions, and companies with a clinical perspective.

Blog: The Digital Health Corner
Post: Five Ways in Which mHealth is like the Senior Prom

“…Mobile health will be a game changer for healthcare. It will change the way in which patients think about themselves; No longer a passive player, but the place from which information flows. Its coming out needs to be just as orchestrated, with quality deliverables and all plans made. The chaperones need to be there (payers, providers).”  Full Post>

5.   Geeta Nayyar, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, AT&T-  blogs at Networking Exchange (AT&T), a place for business professionals to learn, share and engage with networking experts on advancing business goals through technology innovation.

Blog: Networking Exchange
Post: Cloud and Healthcare: Embracing Innovation (Part 1)

“One of the most important ways that technology and communications networks are helping improve the state of healthcare is to make it easier for providers to work as a team instead of as individual practitioners operating in silos. Having access to the “cloud” is vital to this new teamwork approach. But you have to have the right cloud to deal with healthcare’s unique challenges…”  Full Post>

6.  Jon Linkous, CEO American Telemedicine Association (ATA)

Blog: LinkousThink
Post: Seven Market Trends

“…It’s been the Holy Grail for telemedicine in America. But the rapid growth of managed care, Accountable Care Organizations and medical homes are changing the way telemedicine services are paid, away from the fee for service model…”  Full Post>

7.   Brian Dolan, Editor, MobiHealthNews

Blog: MobiHealthNews
Post: Walgreens app adds pill reminders, Rx transfer

“Retail pharmacy chain Walgreens added two new features to its mobile health app: medication reminders and prescription transfers via barcode scans. Without citing specific numbers — other than that its mobile user base was in the millions — Walgreens said adoption of its mobile apps grew 500 percent last year…”  Full Post>

8.  Ted Eytan, MD, Director at Kaiser Permanente, and family physician with an interest in patient empowerment and patient-centered health information technology.

Blog: TedEytan
Post: Now Reading: About today’s Health Affairs study, HIT, EHRs, and impact on test ordering

“This study, being released to the public at the exact same time of this blog post, should generate healthy discussion about whether health information technology, fully implemented, is going to deliver on one of the biggest promises made: reduced ordering of unnecessary tests…”  Full Post>

9.  Bill Crounse, MD, Senior Director, Worldwide Health Microsoft Corporation
Blog: Health Blog
Post: Making health services more accessible and affordable to more people

“…with commodity high-speed Internet connectivity and a variety of solutions like Kinect for XBOX, Skype, or Lync that can deliver video conferencing into the home, I foresee a day when bringing a medical or other expert into your living room for a consultation may become as commonplace as ordering up a movie on Xfinity or Netflix…”  Full Post>

10.  Matthew Holt, Founder TheHealthCareBlog, and Co-Founder Health 2.0

Blog: TheHealthCareBlog
Post: Engaging “The” Patient by Adrian Gropper

“The digital identity of patients will come to the fore as the nationwide health information network (NwHIN) takes practical steps to support care coordination, patient engagement and quality transparency. These changes in health care delivery are the essential foundation for cost containment and arguably the essence of Meaningful Use…”  Full Post>

Thank you again for taking the time to engage in Grand Rounds.  I hope you enjoyed this selection of health and medical blogs which focus on health care technology.

Your turn

We would love to hear your insightful thoughts in the comment section below.  As always, thank you for your valuable time.

Connect with me | Stay in touch

Follow Barbara on Twitter
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Connect with Barbara on Linkedin

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