How to Join the Healthcare Conversation with Twitter
By: Jason Boies
The social web is awash with health-related conversations every day. The sheer volume of online healthcare discussion can be tough to keep track of for any seasoned social media veteran, much less for a newcomer to the space. And on no platform is the conversation moving faster and more furious than Twitter.Many healthcare communicators have taken to their Twitter feeds to share interesting healthcare articles, make connections in their field on opposite sides of the world (or their country) and engage in real time discussions.
Here are four great healthcare hashtags:
#hcsm
What it means: Healthcare Communications & Social Media
Who it’s moderated by: Dana Lewis (@Danamlewis), hosted by @HealthSocMed
When it takes place: Sunday nights at 9pm EST
What they discuss: The new FDA draft guidance, what participants are hoping to learn more about in 2012, whether or not providers ask their patients about their online activities and what participants wished they’d known when they began their social media for healthcare use. Start searching the #hcsm stream here.
#hcsmca
What it means: Healthcare Social Media Canada
Who it’s moderated by: Founder Colleen Young (@Colleen_Young) with guest moderators as well
When it takes place: Wednesday afternoons at 1pm EST
What they discuss: How to best to leverage social media for healthcare advocacy, strategies for better health communications in 2012 and encouraging more openness with regards to personal health data. Start searching the #hcsmca stream here.
#hcsmeu
What it means: Healthcare Social Media Europe
Who it’s moderated by: Co-Founders Andrew Spong (@AndrewSpong) & Silja Chouquet (@Whydotpharma)
When it takes place: Friday at 12pm UK time
What they discuss: The regulation of mobile applications, how to leverage Twitter for improving patient safety, how Pharma can innovate to stay competitive in 2012 using social media and 2011’s best examples of social media engagement in the industry.
#HITsm
What it means: Healthcare IT Social Media
Who it’s moderated by: Chad Johnson (@HealthStandards)
When it takes place: Friday mornings at Noon EST
What they discuss: Attending conferences virtually by way of social media platforms, which emerging technologies they’d be most interested in learning more about, the connection between consumer health apps and Personal Health Records (PHR) and how best to increase physician adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
While we’ve focused on the actual weekly chats attached to these hashtags, many tweeters use them to share articles of interest and even pose questions outside of regular chat times. Make certain what you’re sharing is interesting to the hashtag’s target audience to ensure these wonderful resources aren’t overrun with non-relevant links and discussions. These hashtags along with so many others are terrific ways to make lasting online connections in your field. Get tweetin’!
What hashtags are you using in your Twitter healthcare discussions? Got a favorite weekly/monthly chat not mentioned above? Please share them in the comments section!
Jason Boies is a member of the Radian6 Community Engagement Team. His focus is on the worlds of healthcare & pharmaceuticals. Get a prescription for health & pharma themed tweets by following him on Twitter at @JasonBoies. Read other blog posts from Jason here.
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