In my new series I ask medical professionals and e-patients about how they use social media presented through practical examples and suggestions (so far: a rheumatologist, a diabetes blogger, a GP, a surgeon, ENT doc and a pediatrician answered my questions, each of them is proficient in using social media). Now please welcome Sumer Sethi, MD Radiology, prominent Blogger at Sumer Sethi, Editor-in-chief Internet Journal of Radiology & CEO at Teleradiology Providers.
- What social media channels do you use in your work and for what purposes?
In my routine day to day to practise, I regularly use social media channels like blogging, Facebook and Twitter. I use my blog http://sumerdoc.blogpsot.com regularly for sharing cases seen in my practise many of which are second opinion cases. Recently I have started a Radiology Resident Club (RRC) on Facebook where in last one month around 2000 members have joined in exchanging radiology cases. My blog probably was one of the first movers in the field of Rad-Blogging and has been around since last 8 years now and is the longest running radiology blog, which thousands of visitors each day. I use my twitter account to tweet about radiology updates and my view points.
- What do your patients think about social media? Do they use it?
Sure they do nowadays. Patients surely use social media. They want to be better connected to their physician and sometimes it becomes difficult for the modern web 2.0 generation physician to draw the “line”. But here lies an opportunity for web 2.0 savvy physician to use this unique branding opportunity that this platform offers. Now in Radiology in particular we see many radiologist focussed social media as well to develop Radiologist peer interaction and case sharing.
- What social media sites do you think point towards the future of healthcare?
This is difficult question to answer, but I feel soon we will see many more social media centric healthcare websites, which will make the Physician-patient relationship more personal (atleast on the internet) and more open to each other. Social media is the Great equaliser and it offers both risks and opportunities to the physicians of the future. It will soon give them a chance to relate to the patients better and more closely with more and more healthcare centric social media sites.
- What do you think about the curated Radiology and Social Media selection on Webicina.com? For what reasons did you use it?
Radiology and social medial selection on Webicina.com is one of the better web 2.0 resources for radiology and it helps me find carefully chosen resources from across the internet for radiology and offer an unique platform for all radiologists looking for quality resource.
