Category: Social media

Why social media may be causing real emotional harm

“Mens sana, in corpore sano,” goes the old Latin saying. “A healthy mind in a healthy body.”  It’s vital that way pay proper attention not only to our physical existence but to our minds and souls; to the intangible but essentia…

A physician shares her positive experience with social media

An opinion article was recently published in Stat by Daniel Sokol, PhD, who is a London-based bioethicist and lawyer specializing in medical law. His article, entitled “Doctors should use social media with restraint,” discusses the role of …

When physicians are cyberbullied: an interview with ZDoggMD

Pseudoscience hate groups of all kinds are targeting physicians who openly advocate for public health issues. This is a favorite intimidation tactic used by anti-vaccine activists: When pediatrician colleague Jen Trachtenberg posted a video for Nationa…

3 ways to advance the credibility of online health information

As first reported by The Wall Street Journal late last month, the war against anti-vaccination propaganda now has a new battlefront. Pinterest, the social-media platform where users discover images and information, has begun blocking vaccine-related se…

A physician’s first 100 days on Twitter

Since finishing my medical training recently, many of my friends have embraced their newfound freedom as attendings in traditional ways: reviving long-neglected hobbies, finally exercising regularly, enjoying more time with loved ones. Me? I joined Twi…

How social media can help or hurt your health care career

This article is sponsored by Careers by KevinMD.com. We live in a time when social media isn’t just about sharing pictures or ideas with a close circle of friends and family. Between our Facebook statuses, our Twitter profiles and especially our Linked…

8 reasons why Instagram is important in medicine

I started sharing my journey through medicine on Instagram about four years ago after I failed the musculoskeletal block during my first year of medical school. I felt alone in my struggles and didn’t want anyone else to feel that way. So I start…

HIPAA case studies: misguided mistakes and egregious errors

An excerpt from Tweets, Likes,and Liabilities: Online and Electronic Risk to the Healthcare Professional. When it comes to HIPAA violations, there are, sadly, plenty of examples available to serve as cautionary tales. Some seem like innocent mistakes t…

How social media can advance humanism in medicine

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.” – Abraham Maslow. The New York Times recently published the op-ed “Dr. Google is a Liar,” written by cardiologist Haider Warraich, MD. Dr. Warraich d…

Physicians who don’t play the social media game may be left behind

The internet truly is a wondrous invention. It has evened the playing field with a wide swath of people now having access to information that used to be possessed in the hands of only the elite few not too long ago. However, as with most things, there …