How can patients use social media? 7 thought provoking references

There's a buzz at The 24th National Forum run by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement; and it's not just because the weather is warm in Florida and thousands of gallons of coffee is being consumed.  It's taken a while (I did the first social media presentation there about 5 years ago) but social media is hit the top of the agenda.

One of the questions being discussed is how patients and their families are using social media.
I've done a run round the Internet and collated some references to help this discussion. There are some condition specific references, most notably diabetes - however, I'e stuck with the more generic links.

• 4 ways social media can improve your medical practice AMEDNews; useful tips with some examples
• Using Twitter for e-patient communication  A comprehensive PDF guide
•  NHS reaction to online patient feedback is changing Guardian Newspaper article 2011
• Patient satisfaction in the age of social media  Excellent blogpost by MD suggesting some disruption necessary
• Can Twitter be used for doctor-patient communication from same blog as above
• Unleashing the Power of Social Media for Patient Experience  Has some useful links to examples
• How the NHS uses Twitter  Guardian Newspaper 2011 

Review of iPhone apps for patients in England

I chose to find and check out apps that patients in England can use – though I did find some excellent ones for patients in other countries  We have some catching up to do…. This is not a comprehensive list and I looked at those that interested me. I've avoided ones that are specifically disease related as I will review those separately. I've also not repeated the apps in my review of iPhone apps for the NHS.

All apps are free, unless specified, and I have no links or specific benefits from any organisation listed in this post.

RCP Stroke Guidelines 2012 – Patient and Carer

Another great title. This is patient specific advice from the Royal College of Physicians and I LOVE the fact it is based on the Guidelines published in 2012. This is a proper app, with a proper evidence base, doing something proper. It would be great to see apps like these for all clinical guidelines. It’s well designed and easy to navigate. And includes links to stroke clubs and other services. Why this works is it is not just a sales pitch for one service or organisation – it is designed around the patient. The first truly patient centred app that I've come across.

Patient.co.uk

This is an information based app with all their leaflets on health, conditions and diseases.  You can also find services close to you. Useful, though I’m not certain about the advertising. Others have reviewed the app as having some technical difficulties and the disadvantage of not being able to store a leaflet for viewing offline.

Communicating with foreign language speaking patients (in English, German, French, Japanese): A guide for doctors and nurses

Wonderful title that explains all. Although this is targeted at doctors and nurses, the app is also useful for patients. Of course there is Google Translate which is probably the best app for language translation as it includes all known languages – though this app does cover some of the more complex medical terminology.

GP Ratings £0.69

A simple app locating GP surgeries and giving you their ratings by using the open data available. It’s a useful way to make data useful, though as the data is made available free of charge some may prefer not to pay. What I liked is the way I could see the details of ratings for my own practice. But would I want to pay 69p to see this once, as I would be unlikely to use it again, as I have little option for changing to another GP.

Research: How engaged are patients in their healthcare

The Heatth Foundation has released an excellent report on their research into patient engagement. It's one of the most up to date and significant reports I'e seen on this topic for a long time. It makes for some uncomfortable reading, especially regarding patients who have long term conditions.  There is a summary report, but I commend the full version for required reading for all NHS Commissioners and those working on improvemet projects.