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Leeds and York FT experiments with social media

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

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An NHS Foundation Trust (FT) is experimenting with their social media presence to expand into other platforms in the hope of engaging with a wider audience.

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust states that the approach is being taken at both a corporate and clinical level, encouraging the organisation to be more sociable in addition to engaging stakeholders and patients alike.

On a corporate level, the Trust has used Twitter to live-tweet updates through meetings, and invites feedback through their Facebook page through comments and discussions. Both Trust wide and individual accounts are used to communicate Trust-wide issues down to service and department level-specific issues.  It is hoped that as a result, a “friendly, helpful and informative” tone is set “which gives individual staff the freedom to showcase their personalities”.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and blogging sites are also being used effectively in a clinical settings, such as targeting communities that access services online. The Leeds Club Drug Clinic for example, which provides information and news on drugs, their effects and treatments.

“We have also developed an understanding of how to bridge the gap between our online and offline activities. Sometimes an initiative that is launched online needs to have physical activities and events to support it” state deputy director Victoria Betton and digital engagement specialist Abhay Adhikari.

The FT state that instead of the traditional avenues of social media such as “auto-tweeting”, going forward they will try to take a more personalised approach.

“The longer-term vision is to enable practitioners to support people’s recovery journeys in both their offline and online lives. And our hope is that as we continue our journey of using social media, our stakeholders will play a significant role in collaborating with us” say Betton and Adhikari.

Original Source The Guardian

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

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CCG’s using Facebook to improve communication

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

Writing for the Guardian, Dr Hamed Khan reveals how he has been tasked to improve the use of social media communication amongst clinical commissioning groups (CCG’s).

Dr Khan is part of the communication subgroup of ESyDoc, a partnership of eighteen GP practices in south east Surrey covering Caterham, Horley, Reigate, Redhill and Oxted. The group intends to develop the use of online platforms in order to allows “an instantaneous flow of information and suggestions on how best to manage local healthcare services”.

One of the primary examples is the use of a private Facebook “group” used as a “huge, multifunctional electronic noteboard” amongst CCG members and GP’s. Replacing the need for face-to-face meetings and long chain discussion emails, all information is made available to all invited members. In addition, members are able to access the group from their own homes, on-the-go and from a wide variety of desktop, phone and tablet devices.

Dr Khan cites an example of the announcement of a joint clinic on this board, for which GP’s were uploaded a referral form to the Facebook group. All members were then able to instantaneously download and print the form, refer patients and provide valuable feedback about the new service.

In addition, social media is also used to create, publicise and manage educational events. Events fliers are uploaded to the Facebook group, allowing members to discuss the topics and share resources in advance. Facebook’s calendar and event functions can also be used to create online invitations and booking systems.

In order that this strategy can be effective, Dr Khan states the importance of avoiding the pitfalls associated with social media. The areas of security and privacy need to be tackled, in addition to online conduct and etiquette of healthcare professionals. Facebook for example allows high levels of privacy settings, ensuring content is only available to specific users. The Royal College of GPs (RCGP), the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) also provide recommendations helping to clarify how healthcare professionals should go about communicating online.

“I am fortunate to work within an innovative CCG that is keen to embrace change and new ways of communicating. Hopefully, it will not be long until others follow our example” said Dr Khan.

Original Source The Guardian

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

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One in Three use Social Media for Health information

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

A survey by PwC has revealed that one in three people are now turning to social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to access health information.

The Health Research Institute arm of PwC surveyed over 1,000 consumers and 124 healthcare executives in the US, monitoring their social media traffic for a week.

The results showed that people are utilising social media as opposed to sites set up by healthcare organisations to influence decisions about their care. The survey established that social media usage by the healthcare industry in the US is dwarfed by consumer interaction, with 24 times more activity on community sites.

70% of respondents also stated that they would prefer to receive more assistance from healthcare providers via social media for referrals and the scheduling of appointments.

Keith Pollard, Managing Director of Intuition Communication, said that social media has changed the “patient-provider dynamic.”

Pollard states that the main barrier to the NHS embracing social media is the fear of patients publicly airing negative comments on their services. However, the PwC study indicated that the majority of mentions on social media regarding medical treatment were “neutral”, with only 5% of comments deemed negative.

“The power of social media for health organisations is the benefit of listening and engaging with patients on their terms,” Pollard added. He also concluded that social media could feature in the future collection of data from individuals, even being implemented to help “complete the patient profile”.

Original Source eHealth Insider

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

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Organ donor registration now available on Facebook

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Facebook users are now able to register themselves as organ donors using their profiles in a scheme designed to encourage participation from younger individuals.

A “health and wellbeing” button is to be implement on the site’s timeline which will enable people to share their thoughts on organ transplants, including their intention to become a donor. They will then be able to access the Facebook profile of the NHS Blood and Transplant service with the ability to sign up to the register directly.

There are currently around 10,000 people in need of a transplant in the UK, and figures show that three people die every day while on the waiting list. As more than 900 million people globally use Facebook, with 30 million in the UK, it is hoped that the page can raise awareness and provide a simple mechanism for people to register themselves.

With the timeline functionality of Facebook, users will be able to see which of their friends are talking about organ donation and give the option to add becoming a donor as a “life event” to users own timelines.

“We believe that by simply telling people that you’re an organ donor, the power of sharing and connection can play an important role” said Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook.

Sally Johnson, the Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation said more people need to sign up to the register, and that their move to Facebook was intended to make the process as quick and easy as possible.

“This is an exciting new way to use the power of social media to reach a huge audience and encourage people to think about it, act, and share that information” Johnson said.

The page can be viewed here.

Original Source Sky News

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

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Quiet revolution in peer-to-peer healthcare social networks

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012


Social Media

Writing for the Guardian Professional, Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli asserts that there is a significant change in the way that patients and clinicians interact online.

As the founder and CEO of Patients Know Best, Dr Al-Ubaydli says that the revolution has been made possible by the growth of social media and technology.

Online peer-to-peer support networks such as Health Unlocked and Patients Like Me enable patients to share details of their medical conditions with people who have the same or similar conditions, and compare and contrast different diagnoses and treatments. The lack of geographical restriction means that even patients with rare conditions can relate to others in the same position, and share information with the common goal of improving their experience. Patients can ask for advice, learn from each other, discuss test results and compare the effectiveness of different medications, treatments or combinations of drugs.

This kind of sharing it is believed creates an “empowered patient” who is more aware and in control of their condition. It is thought that this will radically change the doctor-patient relationship, making it more equal and collaborative.

The boom in portable hardware devices also means that patients have access to a suite of medical advice apps on the go. The ability to monitor vital signs through simple and noninvasive technology means that more accurate reading can be taken and ultimately transmitted to the clinician, reducing reliance on hospital resources.

Dr Al-Ubaydil says that clinicians should welcome the change as an opportunity to compare themselves with other clinicians and engage patients around their treatment. He states there are some barriers to this method being adopted entirely, and states that clinicians should:

  • Not dismiss the patient’s own research
  • Use patient orientated sites to learn instead of teach
  • Move away from  “paternalistic medicine”, where the doctor speaks and the patient listens, to “participatory medicine” where both the patient and the clinician bring the information

Dr Al-Ubaydil states that patients empowering themselves will not only have large benefits for the individual, but it will also lead to more efficient and effective healthcare systems.

Original Source The Guardian

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

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