ASH News Daily 2017 - Issue 3 - A-12

ASH News Daily

Page A-12

Monday, December 11, 2017

SOCIAL MEDIA

Handles, Hashtags, and Hematologists:
How, What, When, and Why
By Lynne Lederman, PhD

ince 2012, the number of authors posting on Twitter during the annual meeting has
risen dramatically. If you have not
participated in the past, now may
be the time to join, as social media
continues to become increasingly
significant in hematology.
The now annual Special Interest
Session on social media was held
yesterday, and this year's edition
was titled "Quality Conversations
on Social Media: Achieving Credibility and Efficiency Together"
chaired by Dr. Joseph R. Mikhael (@
jmikhaelmd) of Mayo Clinic and featured three prolific social media users who shared their experiences.
Acknowledging
a
dramatic
change in how we communicate,
with social media occupying increasing importance in the healthcare system, academia, and other
collaborations, Dr. Mohamad Mohty
of Saint Antoine Hospital (@Mohty_
EBMT) discussed why we need social media in medicine.

Dr. John P. Leonard talks about his experience and recommendations for
using Twitter during "Quality Conversations on Social Media: Achieving
Credibility and Efficiency Together."

He said that social media allows
queries to be answered more rapidly,
enabling communication "without
borders" that can bring together patients and stakeholders from all over
the world to share experiences. He
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of social media in the health system
has not been formally quantified.
Dr. Mohty thinks younger colleagues and patients may feel less
intimidated on social media than
in face-to-face discussions. On the
other hand, decreased face-to-face
interactions could erode relationships, and there is the risk of misunderstandings that would require
lengthy explanations to correct. He
concluded that the pluses outweigh
the minuses.
Dr. Elaine Schattner of Weill Cornell Medical College, (@ESchattner)
discussed the patient perspective as
well as some security tips. She said
that patients and caregivers go online to find information, to look for
clinical trials and treatments not offered locally, for second and third
opinions, and to seek camaraderie
and support.
Dr. Schattner said that most educated patients are not looking for
answers to their medical questions
online. "It's important to treat people with respect," she said. "Twitter
is not the place to dispense medical
advice, but you can be considerate
and acknowledge a patient's con-

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cerns even if you can't answer their
question online." She continued,
"Be professional! Think of the old
'elevator rule,' which reminds doctors in public places where patients
might be listening not to reveal details about a case, be dismissive or
rude, or otherwise cause harm. This
applies online."
Dr. Schattner said that security
and privacy concerns apply to everyone, not just women. "Be aware
that stalkers and creeps may be following you. I block pornographers,
spammers, and individuals who use
hateful language and violent images."
Some may choose to post only
links to journal articles or conference
news. Dr. Schattner said that can become boring and kill a social media
feed. "I think it helps draw followers, and ultimately fosters real-life
connections and even collaborations, if you can find some aspect of
your personal life like a hobby, that
makes you interesting." She advises
people to choose something that's
safe to tell strangers on the internet.
Dr. John P. Leonard with Weill Cornell Medical College (@
JohnPLeonardMD) gave examples of
his tweets, which included mentions
of publications and talks by colleagues, congratulations on grants,
and clinical trials. Knowing patients
follow his tweets, he is prepared to
explain the implications of treatments that he mentions. He includes
opinions and odds and ends like
photos of his tomato plants to keep
things interesting.
After a limited rollout, by the beginning of November, Twitter had
doubled its 140 character limit to 280
characters, except for those tweeting
in information-rich Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters. So join us
@ASH_hematology, and add the official #ASH17 hashtag to your tweets.
Dr. Lederman indicated no relevant
conflicts of interest.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASH News Daily 2017 - Issue 3